When in April 2014, Boko Haram abducted about 276 girls from their school in Chibok in Borno State, the world was outraged. The reality of the situation was difficult to comprehend. Eight years later, stories of shooters abducting entire schools barely get reposted in Nigeria’s very active social media. It has become the new normal. As of Q1 2021, all the public schools in northern Nigeria were shuttered, and the students were sent home in a public acknowledgement that the Government of Nigeria cannot protect its young.
Data from Nextier SPD Violent Conflict Database shows that in the twelve months to September 2021, Nigeria recorded 20 kidnapping incidents resulting in 2,542 kidnap victims. Four states – Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, and Kaduna – account for 44 percent of the kidnap incidents and 82 percent of the kidnap victims. Only four states did not report any kidnapping incidents in the period under review. With the failure of the State to protect or retrieve the kidnapped, Nigerians have resorted to negotiating and paying the ransom. Unfortunately, this practice has made the crime attractive and increased kidnap incidents.
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