Anywhere one turns in Nigeria today, there is fear everywhere. The nature of this fear is that it does not discriminate. It is universal. It transcends ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, and social status. This fear is known to all. It is the fear of kidnappers and bandits.
Across the nation’s highways, farms, schools, communities, and even places once considered safe, such as churches and mosques, many Nigerians now live with the unsettling reality that danger could strike at any moment.
The media is awash with tales of woe. Hardly a day passes without reports of abductions, attacks on communities, or ransom demands. Travellers think twice before embarking on road journeys. Farmers fear venturing into their fields. Parents worry about the safety of their children in schools. Traditional rulers, religious leaders, businessmen, civil servants, and ordinary citizens alike are no longer insulated from the threat. Some churches are skipping services and avoiding vigils. The fear is real, and it is spreading. More troubling is the growing perception that nobody and no community is completely safe.
The question on the lips of many is: How did Nigeria arrive at this point? We once lived together without fear or favour. People embarked on night journeys without apprehension. Gradually, kidnapping reared its ugly head and was initially confined to specific regions and motivations. Over time, however, it evolved into a lucrative criminal enterprise. Banditry expanded from isolated attacks into organised criminal networks. This ugly development confirms the belief that criminality flourishes when it becomes profitable, and perpetrators face limited or no consequences.
The cost to the nation and its people is enormous. There is the psychological trauma that comes with constant fear and anxiety among citizens, with many communities living under permanent tension. Residents struggle to sleep at night because they do not want to be caught unawares by these heartless merchants of death. During the day, they tread cautiously and become agitated whenever they sense suspicious movements around them.
The economic consequences of this madness, which is spreading like wildfire in Harmattan, are equally devastating, with hunger staring many people in the face. Farmers are abandoning their farmlands in droves because of the growing number of those who have embarked on journeys of no return to their farms. Businesses are understandably relocating or shutting down. Transportation and security costs have also risen significantly. None of these comes cheap.
The impact on the economy and livelihoods is profound.
Social life has also been brutally bruised. The social consequences of the situation have led to reduced trust among communities and disrupted access to education and healthcare. The damage goes far beyond ransom payments and casualty figures.
Nobody is immune anymore, except those who choose to deceive themselves. Villages are being attacked; residents of urban areas are being kidnapped; traditional rulers are being targeted; clerics are being abducted; schoolchildren are being seized for no fault of theirs; and travellers are being attacked on highways. The crisis has become national rather than regional.
The country cannot continue to be run at the mercy of bandits and kidnappers. All hands must be on deck to end this nightmare. On the part of the government, the Federal Government should strengthen intelligence gathering, improve inter-agency cooperation, invest in surveillance technology, and ensure the swift prosecution of criminals.
State governments cannot afford to stand aloof. They must support local security initiatives, improve rural security, strengthen collaboration with federal agencies, and address the local grievances that criminals often exploit. Security cannot be achieved through reactive measures alone.
Our security agencies are neither sleeping nor resting. They are taking the fight to these terrorists and criminal elements. However, it is clear that more needs to be done to sustain the momentum and ensure victory. They must become more intelligence-driven, improve response times, deepen community policing efforts, track ransom networks and their financiers, and enhance cooperation among agencies. Preventing attacks is often more effective than responding after they occur.
Leaders at all levels must also roll up their sleeves and ensure that this battle is won. Traditional rulers must play leading roles. They should serve as community intelligence hubs, strengthen local vigilance structures, encourage cooperation between communities and security agencies, and help identify suspicious movements and strangers. They remain critical to grassroots security.
Religious bodies, too, have important roles to play beyond prayers and fasting alone. They must promote peace and social cohesion, discourage criminality and violence, support victims and affected families, and encourage citizens to cooperate with lawful authorities. Moral influence remains an important weapon against crime. Religious institutions are in a vantage position to perform this role effectively.
Political leaders also have a duty to act responsibly. They must stop politicising insecurity. They should prioritise security above partisan interests, avoid inflammatory rhetoric, and support long-term security reforms. They must understand that criminals do not distinguish between political parties.
As citizens, we should not fold our arms or stand akimbo. We must remain vigilant at all times. Suspicious activities should be reported promptly, and the spread of false information should be avoided. Community groups should strengthen neighbourhood watch systems, work closely with security agencies, and promote community solidarity. Security is everybody’s business, not the government’s alone.
Nigerians cannot afford to lose hope. After all, some other countries have defeated insurgencies and dismantled criminal networks. Nigeria itself has recorded security successes in the past. Criminal groups are not invincible. Sustained commitment and determination can produce results. Fear should never become acceptance.
There is a dire need for a national security consensus in which security is seen and treated as a national emergency. Federal, state, and local actors must work together and put political differences aside, as such divisions are capable of undermining security efforts. Citizens must see security as a collective responsibility. The battle requires unity, not blame-shifting.
The fear of kidnappers and bandits in Nigeria is neither imagined nor exaggerated. It is a reality that millions confront daily. Yet, while the fear is real, it must not become permanent. Nations have faced similar threats and overcome them through determined leadership, effective security strategies, community participation, and national resolve. Nigeria can do the same.
The government must lead, security agencies must improve, traditional and religious leaders must mobilise their communities, political leaders must rise above partisan calculations, and citizens must remain vigilant and cooperative.
The challenge is enormous, but it is not insurmountable. Criminals succeed when society becomes divided, fearful, and resigned. The battle against kidnapping and banditry can be won, but only if Nigerians collectively refuse to surrender their communities, their freedoms, and their future to these merchants of fear.
