Over 970 Nigerians kidnapped in October 2024 – Report warns of worsening security
In October 2024, more than 970 people were kidnapped across Nigeria, according to a new report. This troubling news comes as a new terrorist group, Lakurawa, has started causing problems in the country’s northwestern region.
The information comes from the October 2024 Nigeria Security Report, released by Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited (BSIL), a security consulting company. The report, shared with DAILY POST on Tuesday, says that security is getting worse in Nigeria, with a big rise in kidnappings, killings, and violent incidents.
According to the report, security issues in Nigeria are getting worse, and 2024 could end up being the worst year for security in the past ten years. The report highlighted that there were more violent activities like killings, kidnappings for ransom, and protests in October, caused by social and political problems in the country.
The report showed a 51% increase in the number of people killed and a 24% rise in the number of people abducted, compared to the previous month. In total, there were 861 security incidents in October, with 559 (64.92%) of them being attacks by armed groups, criminal gangs, and militias. The rest of the incidents involved security forces or safety-related issues.
There were 1,545 deaths in October, with 67.70% of those being civilians. Of the 971 people kidnapped, the majority—83.83%—were taken in the northwestern part of the country, especially in areas like Sokoto and Kebbi states.
The report also revealed that Northern Nigeria was hit hardest, with 98.25% of all kidnappings happening in the northern region, while only 1.75% occurred in the south.
Dr. Kabir Adamu, the CEO of Beacon Security, told DAILY POST that the country’s security system is not strong enough to handle these growing problems. He believes the government hasn’t been able to deal with the causes of insecurity, which are getting worse each year.
Adamu explained that there are three main factors driving insecurity in Nigeria:
- Economic issues: The rising cost of living is making life harder for many people, and some are turning to crime.
- Political issues: Some people are angry over the results of past elections, and this anger is spilling over into violence.
- Environmental factors: Climate change is causing problems, like the movement of herders, which also fuels conflicts.
Adamu also pointed out that Nigeria has laws to fight terrorism, but they aren’t being enforced properly. He said the government needs to do more to keep the public informed about these laws and work with neighboring countries to stop terrorism from spreading.
In summary, the security situation in Nigeria is getting worse, and many people are worried that more lives will be lost if things don’t improve soon.
