Mass Abductions: Experts Demand Swift Trial, Harsh Penalties As Bandits Seize Traders In Kaduna

Security experts and analysts have advocated harsh punishment for perpetrators of mass abductions in Nigeria.

Terrorists have carried out mass abductions in Kwara, Niger, Kaduna, and Katsina States in the last two months.

The latest incident is the abduction of 177 people from churches in the Kajuru community in Kaduna State on January 18, 2026.

Nigeria’s former Defence Attaché to Russia and former Air Force spokesman, AVM Olatokunbo Adesanya (rtd), identified deterrence as a single effective strategy to end the heinous crime.

He said, “Deterrence is a strategy that often works. All those who are found to be involved in mass abductions must be made to face speedy trials, and appropriate punishments must be meted out to them to deter others.

“It does not matter how long it takes to uncover their identities; once discovered, they must be duly punished, and the punishments made public to serve as a deterrent.”

He further stated that, where necessary, appropriate laws must be enacted to ensure a special court system to enhance speedy trials of terrorists and bandits.

“When abductors know that the state will not relent until their identities are uncovered, they would most likely be discouraged from perpetrating their evil,” he added.

He called on the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit and other related agencies to work harder to trace the flow of illicit funds, electronic or physical.

“To minimise mass abductions, Nigeria must invest in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with a good payload and long endurance; these would serve as ‘eyes in the sky’ the moment any mass abduction takes place.

“You would agree with me that it is difficult to hide the movement of over 100 unwilling captives, for instance, over long distances; think of the logistics involved.”

He said that intelligence gathering, particularly from locals, must also be improved, and that mechanisms for reporting suspicious activities should be encouraged or instituted.

“Of importance is the need to employ the non-kinetic approach by addressing the societal ills that encourage banditry; these include poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, etc.

‘Bandits can repent, but whatever might be the case, bandits who are caught, as opposed to those who willingly surrender, must be made to face the full weight of the law.’”

The Managing Director, Beacon Security and Intelligence Ltd, Dr Kabir Adamu, also advocated harsh punishment for perpetrators of mass abductions.

He noted that mass abductions are executed by either faith-based (ideological) terror groups or criminal elements for economic gains.

He stated that groups affiliated with JAS, ISWAP, or any other criminal groups must face the wrath of the law to deter others.

 

“The ideological terrorist groups and the bandits work together. So that’s number one. We must go after these groups. We must arrest the ones we can arrest, kill the ones we can, and destroy their camps.

 

“As long as we leave them, and they have the intention to continue and carry out what they are doing, then they will continue to attack schools, churches, people who are travelling, and innocent communities.

 

“We must go after those perpetrators and end them, destroy them, arrest them. Whatever we need to do with them, we need to do it,” he insisted.

 

The security expert noted that ransom can be divided into two types: financial ransom or political ransom.

 

“Maybe they have a government demand. They will place the demand, the government will grant it, and then they will be happy. That, too, we need to end. So as long as we continue to give them what they want, either in terms of ransom, financial or political, then they will continue. But once they know that they won’t get that, then the incentive for them to continue will reduce.”

 

Dr Adamu also called on relevant stakeholders to strengthen protection around religious places of worship, churches, mosques, educational institutions, and communities.

 

He wondered why the Safe School Initiative failed and called for its review.

 

“Why has it failed? How can we strengthen it? And then, if it’s religious places of worship, how do we promote better security for religious places of worship? So those are the major points.”

 

He also called for internal reflection to address indirect causes of mass abduction.

 

“The shadow economy is an example that allows money to move around. Payments are usually done within the shadow economy.

 

“We must make sure that we have a surveillance mechanism for knowing how money moves within that shadow economy, so that we’re able to trace movements of cash, including ransom payments when they are made.”

 

He further highlighted the need for sociological studies to identify the intentions behind mass abductions.

 

“And theories have been put forward on that intention. So we must also find ways to break that intention.

 

‘In fact, what we are hearing at the moment is like a competition between the bandits. You know, they are divided into camps. If this commander of the camp does a mass abduction, then the other commander will say, “I must do it so that my own standing will be greater than that of the other one.”

 

‘So we must do a sociological study to find out what the intentions are and find means to break the intention,’” he said.

 

Speaking on the issue of amnesty for repentant bandits, Adamu said only those who have genuinely repented and renounced evil should be granted amnesty.

 

“I know that there should always be room to engage in a rehabilitation programme for the simple reason that these are sociological challenges. The perpetrators are citizens, and they are doing these stupid things.

 

‘You can’t kill all of them. You are discussing a situation of about 30,000 to 100,000 bandits. Are you going to kill all of them? There must be a means of rehabilitating them once they are repentant.

 

‘But it must be genuine repentance, which means you must engage them in a genuine demobilisation, deradicalisation and rehabilitation programme, including the disarmament component.

 

‘There is no way to discuss rehabilitation if the person does not disarm and if the person does not recant whatever he did. For those for whom there is obvious evidence that they have engaged in criminality, those individuals must be punished. I believe in genuine repentance and rehabilitation,’” he said.

 

For his part, the Director of Media and Publicity at the International Institute of Professional Security (IPSS), Dr Abdullahi Mohammed Jabi, said that security collaboration between Nigeria and other foreign entities would help reduce mass abductions.

 

He said the partnership between Nigeria and the United States was already yielding results with the elimination of some terrorist leaders and their fighters.

 

“So if this is intensified with the collaboration of all security agencies, I think we are likely to end it before the end of the year.”

 

According to him, perpetrators of mass abduction do it to make money from the crime, adding that they include “community leaders and uncultured ones within the society.”

 

“Since it’s the only source of money now, it’s ongoing. But now I can assure you that with the frantic effort of the federal government, this can be ended.”

 

Jabi further called on the government to create jobs for the teeming youth population.

 

“And the federal government should look at how they can create macroeconomic stability among the youth and job opportunities that will allow them to think otherwise, leave these other evil jobs, and go to other jobs that can fetch them legitimate money.”

 

He, however, attributed widespread banditry and terrorism in Northern Nigeria to uncontrolled population growth.

 

“This is more pronounced in the north because this is where, every year, a good number of children are produced against the prospect of taking care of them, nurturing them morally, and giving them a good education to grow up.

 

“So when you bring your children out onto the streets and let them grow up there, that’s what you see them learning.

 

“And that is why the crisis is localised to Northern Nigeria. Are you telling me there is no poverty in Benue, Lagos, Anambra, Ebonyi, and other places? You will not see it because of civilisation, but poverty has been heightened in the north.

 

“So they are the architects of their problem. What you plant is what you harvest. They are in the north. The northern people reap what they sow.”

 

He also argued that both bandits and their informants should be treated equally to deter others in the community.

 

He blamed drug abuse among youths for the recurring violence and called for stricter drug control.

 

He blamed the situation on “bad upbringing of children by parents, negligence of parents’ responsibility to their children, and high drug consumption by youths in Northern Nigeria.”

 

“So because this is localised, it should be treated as a local challenge, with residents who come forward to support the state and federal governments in eradicating it. These children are not coming from Eastern Nigeria.”

 

Only Restructured Nigeria Can Guarantee Security – SMBLF

 

Meanwhile, the Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum (SMBLF) has declared that only a restructured Nigeria, based on the 2014 National Conference recommendations, can guarantee security, justice, and equity for all citizens.

 

Speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday on the forum’s position over the recent mass abduction of over 160 Kurmin Wali worshippers last Sunday, SMBLF spokesman, Luka Binniyat, said the forum was demanding the immediate rescue of the abductees and the urgent deployment of military and intelligence resources.

 

SMBLF called for the establishment of properly funded community vigilante outfits in Southern Kaduna and a joint regional security outfit for the North Central states, including Taraba.

 

The forum also maintained that state police must be created to tackle security challenges.

 

SMBLF, while advising state governors against negotiating with bandits, said such appeasement has worsened insecurity and turned the Middle Belt into the most fertile ground for kidnapping and banditry.

 

“Our four leaders in the Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum (SMBLF) have already made our position on the Kajuru mass kidnapping and related matters known. They are: Oba Oladipo Olaitan, who is the Leader of the SMBLF and also the Leader of Afenifere; Dr Pogu Bitrus, President of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF); H.E. Ambassador Godknows Igali, National Chairman, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF); and Senator John Azuta-Mbata, President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, who were also signatories to the statement.

 

“As the spokesman of the SMBLF, I want to reiterate some of the salient points raised in that statement: We strongly condemn the abduction of 177 Adara natives from Kurmin Wali village in Kajuru Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna, which is in the Middle Belt. Our leaders described it as a barbaric act of terrorism against innocent worshippers and indigenous communities of the Middle Belt.

 

“The Forum stands in full solidarity with the victims, their families, and all communities under siege across the region.

 

“Finally, the Forum asserts that only a restructured Nigeria, based on the 2014 National Conference recommendations, can guarantee security, justice, and equity for all citizens,” he said.