Nigeria’s worsening insecurity has continued to attract national and international concern, with the latest disturbing video of suspected kidnappers demanding ₦500 million for the release of an abducted man providing another grim illustration of the country’s persistent kidnapping crisis.
The incident has renewed questions about the effectiveness of the Federal Government’s security strategy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly as armed groups, terrorists, bandits and kidnapping networks continue to threaten communities, travellers and vulnerable citizens across different parts of the country.
Since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, insecurity has remained a major national challenge. Despite repeated government assurances, military operations and announcements of security reforms, Nigerians continue to contend with abductions, attacks on rural communities, mass killings and ransom demands.
The scale of the crisis is reflected in several independent security assessments. According to the 2026 Global Terrorism Index, Nigeria moved from sixth position in 2024 to fourth among the countries most affected by terrorism in 2025.
The report recorded:
171 terrorist attacks in 2025, compared with 120 in 2024 — a 43 per cent increase.
750 terrorism-related deaths in 2025, representing a 46 per cent increase.
243 people injured in terrorist attacks.
Civilians accounted for 67 per cent of terrorism-related fatalities.
Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were responsible for the overwhelming majority of terrorism-related deaths.
Thousands killed and kidnapped under the administration
A separate investigation by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), published in 2026, found that at least 19,980 people were killed across Nigeria between 2023 and April 2026 in violence involving insurgency, banditry, communal clashes and separatist activities.
The investigation also documented at least 12,362 abductions within the same period.
Its figures showed that fatalities increased from 4,416 in 2023 to 5,353 in 2024 and 6,518 in 2025. Another 3,693 deaths were recorded between January and April 2026. ICIR News
The kidnapping situation has equally become alarming. Armed groups have turned abduction for ransom into a lucrative criminal enterprise, targeting schoolchildren, travellers, farmers, traditional rulers, religious leaders, businesspeople and ordinary citizens.
An analysis by the European Union Agency for Asylum also identified the spread of banditry-related violence beyond the North-West into the North-Central and other parts of Nigeria, including parts of the South-West. European Union Agency for Asylum
Military installations and communities under attack
Another disturbing dimension is the ability of terrorist groups to launch coordinated attacks against military formations and security personnel.
A March 2026 security tracker published by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies recorded 36 major security incidents, 345 fatalities and 361 abductions in that month.
Terrorist attacks accounted for 248 deaths, representing 72 per cent of the recorded fatalities. The report also highlighted attacks on military bases in Borno State and the resurgence of suicide bombings in Maiduguri. Virtual Library
These developments raise serious questions about intelligence gathering, operational coordination, the protection of vulnerable communities and the ability of security agencies to prevent attacks before they occur.
Tinubu’s security promises under scrutiny
When President Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, he declared that security would be the top priority of his administration, promising improved equipment, training, personnel welfare and firepower for the country’s security agencies.
However, the persistence and escalation of several forms of insecurity have placed those commitments under considerable scrutiny.
A Premium Times investigation published in June 2025, using ACLED data, documented 7,472 deaths and 12,584 abductions during the first two years of Tinubu’s presidency. The report also acknowledged that military operations and some local peace initiatives had produced improvements in certain areas, even as serious security challenges persisted. Premium Times Nigeria
The central question is no longer simply how many terrorists the government claims to have eliminated, but whether Nigerians are becoming safer in their homes, communities, schools and on the nation’s highways.
The ₦500 million ransom video: Another disturbing reminder
Against this background, the trending video showing suspected kidnappers demanding ₦500 million for the release of an abducted man represents another disturbing reminder of the human and economic consequences of insecurity.
The emergence of ransom demands running into hundreds of millions of naira raises questions about how armed criminal networks acquire weapons, sustain their operations, identify victims and move freely across vulnerable communities.
For the families of abducted Nigerians, the consequences are devastating. Some are forced to sell properties, borrow money or exhaust their life savings to negotiate the release of loved ones.
The urgent questions facing the Federal Government
Nigerians deserve clear answers to some fundamental questions:
* Why are terrorist and kidnapping networks still able to operate and carry out mass abductions despite sustained military operations?
* What concrete measures are being taken to dismantle the financial networks sustaining terrorism and ransom kidnapping?
* Why do vulnerable communities continue to suffer repeated attacks without adequate protection?
* What accountability mechanisms exist when security intelligence fails to prevent predictable attacks?
* What is the Federal Government’s measurable strategy for restoring security across the country?
The worsening security indicators recorded during Tinubu’s presidency do not, by themselves, establish that his administration caused the violence. They do, however, provide substantial grounds for demanding accountability for the government’s performance and its constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.
Ultimately, the success of any administration’s security policy must be measured by the safety of citizens, not merely by military announcements, government assurances or the number of insurgents reportedly eliminated.
Nigeria cannot afford to normalise a situation in which citizens are abducted, families are subjected to astronomical ransom demands and communities live under the constant threat of armed attacks.
The protection of human life must become the most urgent national priority.
Sources: Global Terrorism Index 2026, ICIR, Premium Times, ACLED-related reporting and the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies.
