The Mother Of One Of My Staff Was Kidnapped For 4months and 8days; Nobody Reported It—Okonkwo Reacts

Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has raised concerns over insecurity in Nigeria, alleging that many kidnapping incidents go unreported and that local communities are sometimes left to secure the release of abducted victims. Okonkwo made the remarks during an interview on Mic On Podcast, aired on Saturday, October 24, 2026.

He described the situation as a breakdown of security, pointing to what he said was the frequency of kidnappings and the limited public awareness of many incidents. “You have anarchy in the security. You can see the way they are kidnapping people anyhow. Most of the kidnaps you are not hearing about. It is unreported,” Okonkwo said.

To illustrate his claim, Okonkwo recounted the experience of the mother of one of his staff members, whom he said was held captive for more than four months in Kaduna State. “The mother of one of my staff was kidnapped for four months and eight days,” he said.

According to Okonkwo, the woman remained in the forest until local residents intervened and used their own resources to secure her release. “They were in the forest before the natives had to use their own resources and powers to ensure their release in Kaduna State,” he stated.

He said the incident did not receive public attention, arguing that many kidnapping cases remain unknown because they are not reported in the media. “Nobody reported it. Nobody heard it. So, the ones you are seeing being reported are the ones that will embarrass the government,” he said.

He cited the case of a couple and their six-month-old child, suggesting that the government acted quickly because the incident attracted public attention. “Like that couple that is wearing the nightgown of the wife and the wife and six-month-old child. The government quickly did something,” he said.

He also referred to incidents involving members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), saying authorities would respond when such cases became known publicly. “You know what that meant? Whenever NYSC people are caught, they will do something. Not that the parents of these people or their relatives will not pay ransom, but at least they will do it,” Okonkwo stated.

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