Fate of abductees

The National Assembly yesterday charged security agencies to intensify efforts toward rescuing Nigerians held captive by armed groups across the country, expressing worry over lingering insecurity in rural communities.

The call came on the floor of the Senate and House of Representatives at resumed plenary on Tuesday, after a 68-day annual recess. Both chambers subsequently adjourned plenary until October 13, citing ongoing rehabilitation work in the Senate and House chambers.

In his speech titled “Keeping Faith with Nigeria” to set the legislative agenda, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referenced recent abductions during Friday prayer in Marisa Local Government Area of Niger State and other parts of the nation, declaring that the parliament cannot consider itself free while citizens remain in captivity.

“So long as a single Nigerian languishes in captivity, a part of Nigeria is held captive and this Chamber cannot call itself free of the burden. We call upon our security agencies to pursue the rescue of captives and the protection of vulnerable communities with renewed vigour,” Akpabio stated.

On its part, the House of Representatives called for coordinated security operations to secure the immediate and safe release of 116 schoolchildren abducted in Mussa and Lassa in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, and other parts of the country.

The call followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Askira-Uba/Hawul Federal Constituency, Midala Balami.

Balami said the continued captivity had subjected the victims’ families and affected communities to “unbearable emotional distress, uncertainty and fear,” demanding urgent and decisive action to secure their release.

Security analysts observe that the lawmakers’ nudge amounts to “mere rhetoric” unless it is backed by concrete action.

Daily Trust reports that the appeal is coming on the back of the prolonged stay of hundreds of victims in captivity.

Akpabio, who also spoke on flood disaster, economic hardship and electioneering ahead of the 2027 general elections, pledged that the Senate would deploy its powers of legislation, appropriation, and oversight to support security institutions and safeguard lives and property.

Highlighting the recent flooding that destroyed homes and farmlands during the recess, he called on all levels of government to expedite emergency response and relief measures to prevent food shortages and support affected families.

On the national economy, the Senate President urged lawmakers to ensure policy discussions reflect the everyday struggles of citizens coping with the high cost of living, including small business owners, job-seeking graduates and households.

He reiterated the Senate’s renewed commitment to addressing the pressing national challenges confronting citizens, including the rising cost of living, widespread insecurity, and severe flooding across the country.

“Many Nigerians continue to bear a very heavy cost of living,” Akpabio said, stressing the importance of carefully examining ongoing economic reforms.

“The sittings of the Senate ceased in plenary for a season, but the life of Nigeria did not cease. Our victories should be measured in safer communities, better livelihoods for all Nigerians, and a stronger country for those we serve and for generations unborn,” he added.

With political activities intensifying ahead of the 2027 general elections, Akpabio cautioned political actors against divisive rhetoric, religious profiling, and electoral violence.

“We must reject violence and intimidation, and resist the falsehoods that travel swiftly and leave distrust in their wake. No electoral prize is worth a Nigerian life,” he said.

Akpabio assured the public that lawmaking would not yield to political campaigns, noting that senators would remain at their posts throughout the electioneering period.

He also noted that as Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Anniversary on October 1, public officers must uphold patriotism and steadfastness in addressing national challenges.

The country has witnessed several cases of abductions, with more than 800 people kidnapped in the last three months, according to several media reports.

At least 18 residents, including eight women, were kidnapped on September 25, along the Adoka-Ankpa road at the Benue/Kogi border while travelling to Kogi State for a burial.

In Niger State, 47 farmers were abducted while harvesting groundnuts in Rimi, an agricultural community in the Mariga area of Niger State. The incident happened on Sunday, September 27. Most of the victims were women.

Niger State Police Spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident, saying that over 20 people were kidnapped.

“On 28th Sept 2026, a report indicated that on 27th Sept 2026 at about 3 pm, suspected bandits abducted over twenty persons at Mukura village, Kasuwan-Garba District of Mariga LGA. Joint security rescue efforts are ongoing,” he said.

More than 50 people were abducted and about 10 vehicles set ablaze on Sunday and in the early hours of Monday when bandits attacked Bungudu, Yargada, Maikogo and Magama Mairake communities in Bungudu, Gusau and Maru LGAs, Zamfara State.

A survivor, Malam Lawali Kutsa Ada, said the attackers stormed Magama Mairake around midnight, shooting sporadically before conducting house-to-house searches.

He said the bandits abducted about 44 people, mostly women and children, and took them into the bush.

Kutsa said the attackers also set about 10 vehicles, including Canter trucks and other commercial vehicles, on fire.

Another resident said police responded to a distress call but could not immediately confront the attackers because of their numbers and superior weapons.

The attackers also invaded Yargada and Maikogo, where an unspecified number of people were abducted. In Bungudu, the bandits reportedly killed several people and abducted 11 others.

The police spokesman, DSP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the abduction of 11 people in Bungudu, saying a search-and-rescue team had been deployed.

He said the command was still investigating the actual number of victims in the affected communities.

On Saturday, a newly married couple, identified as Funmilayo Bamidele and Rev. Abiodun David, were abducted by armed assailants while returning from their engagement ceremony in Eruku, Kwara State.

They were reportedly travelling with four other passengers when their vehicle was intercepted along the Iyemero–Eruku route bordering Kogi and Kwara states.

On August 21, 2026, terrorists attacked Dekara, Kpenya, Sabon-Gida and Gidan-Zana communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State while worshippers were observing Juma’at prayers.

Two days later, the terrorists released a video claiming to have abducted 500 worshippers, including women and children. Families later authenticated the video after identifying their relatives in the clip.

The affected communities subsequently released the names of 547 worshippers allegedly abducted during the attacks, contradicting the claim by Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago that 63 people were seized.

In the document, the Youth President of Dekara District, Zubairu Umar, said 547 community members were taken into the Kainji Lake National Park forest. He said their whereabouts and condition remained unknown.

In May, insurgents attacked schools in Mussa, Askira-Uba LGA of Borno State, abducting 42 pupils.

On 29 June, gunmen attacked Government Day Secondary School in Lassa while students were taking examinations and abducted at least 36 students. The two incidents left 78 children in captivity.

Parents of the abducted schoolchildren have staged several protests in Borno to call the government’s attention to their plight, alleging that they have been abandoned.

On Monday, the Chairman of the Abducted Children’s Parents Association, Ishaku Suya, told Daily Trust that they are taking their protest to Abuja after the federal government failed to respond to their six-day ultimatum to rescue their children.

The parents said they would storm the Presidential Villa to demand the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and would remain in Abuja until they were granted an audience with the President.

The children have spent more than 100 days in captivity.

Bandits demand N94m, woman gives birth in captivity

Meanwhile, bandits have demanded N94 million ransom from families of the 47 farmers abducted from Mariga LGA of Niger State.

The kidnappers had on Saturday abducted 47 farmers, mostly women harvesting groundnuts on their farms at Tugan-Rimi.

The Chairman of Mariga LGA, Aliyu Bagga Muhammadu, who confirmed the incident, said the bandits had contacted the families of the victims, demanding N2 million for each captive.

“My local government is faced with a serious security challenge. The information at my disposal indicates that women were harvesting groundnuts on their farm when bandits invaded the area and assembled them and took them away.

“They also saw some men working on their farms and took them away. But women formed the majority of those kidnapped. One of the women had given birth in captivity,” he said.

According to Muhammadu, security operatives have been mobilised to go after the abductors and ensure the safe release of the victims.

He noted that the joint security operatives had earlier engaged the kidnappers around Kasuwan Garba and Beri axes, during which one of the vigilantes sustained injuries.

It was further revealed that the armed men were reportedly seen moving through areas between Mangoro and Wamba after allegedly emerging from the Dogon Dawa axis.

The Spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident, saying that over 20 people were kidnapped.

Women protest abduction of 18 residents in Benue

Women from Tyomu community in Makurdi LGA of Benue State on Tuesday protested the abduction of 18 residents, including eight women, kidnapped along the Adoka-Ankpa road while travelling to Kogi State for a burial.

Our correspondent reports that the protesters blocked the Makurdi-Gboko road at Tyomu, Fidi Council Ward, demanding government intervention to secure the release of the victims, who were reportedly abducted by gunmen on Friday evening shortly after Adoka along the Benue/Kogi boundary.

The protesters said the victims, who were travelling in a bus to attend a burial, had remained in captivity despite efforts to raise money demanded by their abductors.

They said that the kidnappers demanded N30 million ransom, while residents reportedly raised and paid N3 million, but the victims were yet to be released.

The protesters who blocked the roads for several hours demanded that government officials come to the area and address them before they would reopen the road.

It was gathered that the Chairman of Makurdi LGA, Joseph Keffi, in company with other government officials, later arrived at the scene and assured the community that the council would collaborate with security agencies to secure the safe return of the abducted residents.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Peter Aondongu, told our correspondent that the command did not receive any formal report about the kidnapping, but said its operatives on patrol along the route at the weekend sighted an abandoned vehicle and suspected that occupants might have been taken away.

He said the police could not confirm the number of victims abducted until the details of the incident are made available to the command.

Aondongu, who said the police later cleared the road, appealed to the protesting community for patience while security operatives made efforts to rescue the victims.

The Special Adviser to the state governor on Internal Security, Chief Joseph Har, told journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday evening that the government had reported the incident to relevant security agencies, adding that efforts were underway to locate the victims and secure their release.

Har said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Adoka and security personnel in surrounding areas were working to rescue the victims.

He, however, explained that the operation was being handled cautiously in order not to expose the victims to harm or result in collateral damage.

Har said the government was keeping the victims’ families informed about developments, including the progress of efforts to rescue their relatives.

He also expressed concern over travelling to Kogi State at night, particularly along routes known to be vulnerable to attacks, saying residents should avoid exposing themselves to unnecessary risks.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Solomon Iorpev, said the victims, who were from Tyomu community, had hired Ejifa Travel Services to convey them to and from a burial ceremony in Kogi State.

Iorpev said the travellers were kidnapped around Ankpa, adding that the transport company allegedly failed to immediately report the incident to the police.

‘Senate’s call without action is rhetoric’

A security and public affairs commentator, Babayo Sule, an Associate Professor, described the Senate’s call as rhetoric unless backed by concrete action.

Sule said similar directives had been issued to security chiefs in the past without producing the desired results, particularly in areas experiencing prolonged insecurity.

“In my own view, I see this call by the Senate as mere political rhetoric because this is not the first, second or third time the security chiefs would be directed to relocate to such places or to bring an end to the dilemma of security challenges, but all of them do not yield any required results,” he said.

He recalled that there had been presidential directives for security chiefs and service commanders to relocate to flashpoints and remain there until security was restored, but said such orders had often failed to produce lasting results.

“Sometimes, they might either relocate for a few days and then return to their comfort zones in Abuja or elsewhere, or they may not be relocated at all and the challenges continue as they are,” Sule stated.

He said the government needed to demonstrate the political will to tackle insecurity by addressing the operational challenges confronting security personnel.

“The best approach that can be done is simply to exhibit and demonstrate serious will and the desire to do it by looking at it squarely in terms of the financial need, the logistics, the weapons, the information, the intelligence and the free hand that the security personnel need,” he said.

Sule also stressed the need for collaboration between security agencies and communities affected by insecurity, saying local communities could play an important role in providing intelligence and supporting security operations.

He further cautioned against relying on official pronouncements without corresponding action, arguing that the effectiveness of the Senate’s directive should ultimately be measured by tangible results on the ground.

“Otherwise, it will just continue to be a political gimmick, particularly as elections are forthcoming. People should not be hoodwinked or just be subjected to a deception of such a statement. Let there be action and not just a mere statement or just a mere viable intention which does not translate into action,” Sule said.

By Hussein Yahaya, Kafilat Taiwo, Dalhatu Liman (Abuja), Hope Abah (Makurdi) & Nda Alhaji (Minna)

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