Nigeria attacks: 51 kidnapped and 3 killed in Kaduna state
Kaduna State in northern Nigeria has witnessed a new wave of deadly violence, with armed groups abducting at least 51 people and killing three others in a series of coordinated attacks targeting four rural villages. These incidents have once again highlighted the serious deterioration of security in Africa's most populous nation, amid fears that kidnappings are becoming an organized industry that is draining the country's resources.
Details of the attacks and targeting of religious symbols
Security sources and eyewitnesses reported that the attacks continued for three days, targeting predominantly Christian and mixed communities. In a particularly horrific incident, gunmen abducted 11 people from the village of Karko on Saturday, including Father Nathaniel Asway, the local Catholic parish priest, indicating that clergy are not spared from these crimes.
In a separate, more deadly attack in the Kaswar Magani area of Kajuru district, three people were killed by gunmen, while 38 others, including a local imam, were taken to an unknown location. The targeting of both the priest and the imam underscores the indiscriminate and criminal nature of these attacks, which make no distinction between religion or ethnicity and are primarily motivated by ransom.
The kidnapping economy: a multi-million dollar industry
Kidnappings in Nigeria are no longer isolated security incidents, but have transformed, according to intelligence reports, into a "well-organized and lucrative industry" for criminal gangs. A report by Lagos-based SBM Intelligence indicates that these operations generated substantial financial returns for the perpetrators, estimated at approximately $1.66 million between July 2024 and June 2025.
This dangerous shift reflects a deficiency in the security system, as gangs exploit the vast forests and overlapping borders between states to carry out their operations and hold hostages for long periods to negotiate ransom, putting Nigerian families under enormous material and psychological pressure.
The historical and security context of the crisis
Kaduna State is a historical flashpoint in Nigeria, situated in the "Middle Belt" region that separates the predominantly Muslim north from the predominantly Christian south. While the region has long been plagued by bloody conflicts between farmers and herders over resources and land, recent years have seen a shift in the nature of the conflict with the entry of armed gangs (locally known as "bandits") who exploit the security vacuum to terrorize the population.
This situation led the Nigerian president to declare a state of emergency and launch extensive recruitment campaigns to combat insecurity, but the vast geography and difficult terrain still pose a major challenge to the regular forces.
International and local repercussions
This wave of violence has drawn widespread international criticism, with the United States having previously expressed concern over the Nigerian government's inability to protect its citizens. These events place the Nigerian government in a difficult position before the international community and negatively impact the investment climate and the local economy, as insecurity in rural areas leads to the abandonment of farms and threatens the country's food security.
