How kidnappings are hitting Nigeria’s Borno families hard

Across Borno, abductions are leaving families with depleted savings, missing loved ones and disrupted education.

Prolonged insecurity is forcing families to make painful choices over ransom, livelihoods and their children’s education [File: Stringer/Reuters]

Maiduguri, Nigeria – When Musa Abdullahi Wakawa learned that his wife and seven-year-old son had been abducted, disbelief quickly gave way to fear.

Then came the question confronting many families caught in Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis: How could he raise the ransom demanded for their release?

For days, Musa searched for a way to bring his family home, confronting the financial burden imposed by the kidnappers.

Across northeastern Nigeria, families sell livestock, seek loans, dispose of property and exhaust savings in the hope of securing the release of loved ones.

In Borno State, kidnapping has become more than a security threat. Families are losing money, living with the trauma of abduction and, in some communities, keeping their children away from school.

‘Please just help me with your prayers’

Laraba Dauda, 45, still remembers the last conversation she had with her younger sister.

Her sister was abducted on January 13, 2026, along the Biu–Buratai road, according to Laraba.

Shortly after the abduction, the phone rang. Her sister was calling from somewhere in the bush.

“Aunty, unknown people have kidnapped us and taken us somewhere in the bush. We don’t know where they are taking us. At this moment, Aunty, please just help me with your prayers,” Laraba recalled her sister saying.

The call ended in tears.

Her sister has not returned home.

Months later, Laraba and her family still do not know where she is being held or whether she is safe.

Laraba is calling on the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to rescue those still in captivity.

“We need the government to come to our aid and help rescue our relatives who have spent more than six months in captivity,” she said.

A journey that never reached Maiduguri

For Anjikwi Hena, his son’s disappearance came just as the family was looking towards a better future.

His son was abducted on March 30, 2026, according to Hena.

He had completed his education and was preparing to travel to Maiduguri in search of work. His father encouraged him and prayed for his success.

Instead, the young man disappeared into captivity.

Hena said their close relationship has made the uncertainty especially painful.

When schools become unsafe

The kidnapping crisis is also threatening education in communities already weakened by years of rebellion.

In Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, only 56 of 113 primary schools are currently functioning, according to Fasuma Askira, the local government education secretary.

Before the May attack in Mussa, 76 primary schools were operating. The threat of violence subsequently forced authorities to close another 20, leaving only 56 functioning.

On May 15, suspected rebel fighters attacked Mussa and abducted dozens of children. A register later obtained by news services identified 40 missing children, although figures provided by the community and government have varied.

The Borno State government has more recently referred to about 44 children still missing from Mussa.

Then, on June 29, armed rebels attacked the Government Day Secondary School in Lassa while students were taking National Examinations Council examinations.

Some students were recovered shortly after the attack, but 36 students and a teacher have been reported as remaining in captivity.

The attacks have deepened fears among parents and teachers already living with the threat of rebel violence.

The education authority moved junior secondary students from Mussa to a government boarding school in Uba and advised the local government to deploy community vigilantes around schools.

Soldiers have also been deployed in Mussa and Lassa alongside local vigilantes, according to the Askira.

For families in these communities, keeping children in school now means weighing access to education against the risk of further attacks.

Borno’s crisis reflects a national problem

The situation in Borno is part of a wider kidnapping crisis across Nigeria.

Amnesty International Nigeria says at least 1,100 people were abducted across the country between January and April 2026, while warning that the actual figure could be considerably higher because many incidents in remote communities go unreported.

“Apart from killing people, gunmen are now on a rampage of abductions, largely for lucrative ransom,” said Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria.

“Some stay months at the mercy of gunmen in punishing situations.”

Amnesty says victims can face torture, starvation and sexual violence, while families are often forced to raise money under extreme pressure.

The organisation has also warned that fear of abduction is pushing children out of school, particularly in rural communities.

Government says security and humanitarian measures are under way

Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security Usman Tar said the government was using both military and nonmilitary measures to confront insecurity.

He acknowledged that the state has several security hotspots, including the Biu-Buratai axis and the Biu-Damboa-Sabon Gari area.

“We are putting in place both kinetic and non-kinetic measures in order to overcome the problem,” Tar said.

He said the state government was working closely with the armed forces by providing additional logistical support and civilian volunteers to assist field operations.

“This has enabled us to dominate the hotspot axis,” he said, adding that attacks had reduced in some affected areas.

The government is also using technology as part of its response, including drones equipped with thermal capabilities to monitor the movement of criminals, Tar said.

Authorities, he added, were advising commuters to avoid dangerous routes where necessary, and working to ensure that people involved in kidnapping and other criminal activities were prosecuted.

Tar acknowledged the humanitarian and psychological impact on families.

He said senior government officials had visited affected families to offer condolences and reassurance, while authorities also provided financial assistance through the State Emergency Management Agency and the state humanitarian agency.

“There are fixed sums that are provided through the State Emergency Management Agency and the State Humanitarian Agency,” Tar said, adding that other legitimate mechanisms were also used to make funding available to affected families.

He said the government viewed “terrorism and criminality” as problems that required more than military action.

“Terrorism is a multinational problem,” he said.

He pointed to poverty, unemployment and illiteracy as socioeconomic factors that can contribute to insecurity, saying federal and state governments were working to improve people’s access to necessities while ensuring that criminals face the law.

When kidnapping becomes a business

Security analyst Professor Khalifa Dikwa described the kidnapping situation as “pathetic”, warning that there were no clear signs that the crisis would end soon.

He said kidnapping for ransom had “metamorphosed into a profit-making venture”, with different armed groups competing for territory and, at times, fighting for dominance in forest areas.

According to Dikwa, ransom payments help sustain criminal networks, finance weapons purchases and attract younger recruits.

That creates a cycle in which communities already struggling with poverty are forced to finance the groups terrorising them.

Families may sell possessions to secure one relative’s release, only to face another ransom demand when someone else is abducted.

Dikwa argued that the government needs stronger intelligence- and technology-driven operations to locate armed groups and disrupt the movement of ransom money.

He also called for security agencies to receive modern weapons, night-vision equipment and tracking technology, alongside improved welfare for soldiers and other security personnel operating on the front lines.

For families, paying ransom may be the only immediate way to try to save someone they love. For armed groups, successful ransom payments can provide the resources and incentive to carry out further abductions.

Musa is waiting for his wife and young son. Laraba is waiting for her sister. Hena is waiting for the son who was preparing to leave home in search of work.

In Askira-Uba, 20 primary schools have closed since the Mussa attack, while dozens of children remain unaccounted for.

During their final phone call, Laraba’s sister told her:

“This is my last communication.”

在博尔诺州各地，绑架事件导致家庭积蓄耗尽、亲人失踪、教育中断。

长期的不安全局势迫使许多家庭在赎金、生计和子女教育之间做出痛苦的选择。[图片：Stringer/路透社]

尼日利亚迈杜古里——当穆萨·阿卜杜拉希·瓦卡瓦得知他的妻子和七岁的儿子被绑架时，难以置信很快变成了恐惧。

于是，许多身陷尼日利亚绑架危机的家庭面临着这样一个问题：他如何才能筹集到赎金，以换取他们的获释？

穆萨连日来都在想方设法让家人回家，同时还要应对绑匪强加给他的经济负担。

在尼日利亚东北部，许多家庭变卖牲畜、寻求贷款、处置财产、耗尽积蓄，希望能保住亲人的性命。

在博尔诺州，绑架已不仅仅是安全威胁。受害者家庭不仅蒙受经济损失，还要承受绑架带来的创伤，在一些社区，甚至导致孩子辍学。

请为我祈祷吧。

45岁的拉拉巴·达乌达仍然记得她和妹妹的最后一次谈话。

据拉拉巴称，她的妹妹于 2026 年 1 月 13 日在比乌-布拉泰公路沿线被绑架。

绑架发生后不久，电话响了。是她姐姐从灌木丛里的某个地方打来的。

“阿姨，我们被陌生人绑架了，带到灌木丛里去了。我们不知道他们要把我们带到哪里去。阿姨，现在请您为我祈祷吧。”拉拉巴回忆起她姐姐当时说的话。

通话以泪水结束。

她的妹妹还没有回家。

几个月过去了，拉拉巴和她的家人仍然不知道她被关押在哪里，也不知道她是否安全。

拉拉巴呼吁尼日利亚政府加大力度营救那些仍被囚禁的人。

“我们需要政府伸出援手，帮助我们营救被囚禁超过六个月的亲人，”她说。

一段从未抵达迈杜古里的旅程

对于安吉奎·赫纳来说，儿子的失踪正值全家憧憬着更美好的未来之际。

据Hena称，他的儿子于2026年3月30日被绑架。

他完成了学业，正准备前往迈杜古里找工作。他的父亲鼓励他，并祈祷他一切顺利。

然而，这个年轻人却被俘虏了。

赫娜说，他们之间的亲密关系让这种不确定性变得格外痛苦。

学校变得不安全时

绑架危机也威胁着那些因多年叛乱而本已衰弱的社区的教育。

据当地政府教育秘书法苏马·阿斯基拉称，博尔诺州阿斯基拉-乌巴地方政府辖区内，113 所小学目前只有 56 所仍在正常运转。

在穆萨五月份的袭击事件发生前，共有76所小学在正常开学。随后，暴力威胁迫使当局关闭了另外20所小学，只剩下56所仍在运作。

5月15日，疑似叛军武装分子袭击了穆萨，并绑架了数十名儿童。新闻机构后来获得的一份登记册显示，失踪儿童人数为40人，但当地社区和政府提供的数字有所不同。

博尔诺州政府最近提到，穆萨仍有约 44 名儿童失踪。

随后，6 月 29 日，武装叛乱分子袭击了拉萨的政府日间中学，当时学生们正在参加全国考试委员会的考试。

袭击发生后不久，一些学生获救，但据报道仍有 36 名学生和一名教师被囚禁。

这些袭击加剧了家长和教师们的恐惧，他们原本就生活在叛乱暴力的威胁之下。

教育部门将穆萨的初中生转移到乌巴的一所政府寄宿学校，并建议当地政府在学校周围部署社区治安队。

据阿斯基拉称，士兵们也已与当地治安队一起部署在穆萨和拉萨。

对于这些社区的家庭来说，现在让孩子继续上学意味着要权衡接受教育的机会与遭受进一步袭击的风险。

博尔诺危机反映了一个全国性问题。

博尔诺州的局势是尼日利亚全国范围内更广泛的绑架危机的一部分。

国际特赦组织尼日利亚分部表示，2026 年 1 月至 4 月期间，尼日利亚全国至少有 1100 人遭到绑架，但同时警告说，实际数字可能要高得多，因为偏远社区的许多事件都没有被报道。

“除了杀人之外，枪手现在还肆意绑架，主要是为了勒索巨额赎金，”国际特赦组织尼日利亚分部主任伊萨·萨努西说。

“有些人要在极其恶劣的环境下，被枪手挟持数月之久。”

国际特赦组织表示，受害者可能面临酷刑、饥饿和性暴力，而他们的家人往往被迫在巨大的压力下筹集资金。

该组织还警告说，对绑架的恐惧正在迫使儿童辍学，尤其是在农村社区。

政府表示，安全和人道主义措施正在进行中。

博尔诺州信息与内部安全专员乌斯曼·塔尔表示，政府正在采取军事和非军事措施来应对不安全局势。

他承认该州有几个安全热点地区，包括比乌-布拉泰轴线和比乌-丹博阿-萨邦加里地区。

“我们正在采取动能和非动能措施来克服这个问题，”塔尔说。

他表示，州政府正与武装部队密切合作，提供额外的后勤支持和民间志愿者来协助实地行动。

“这使我们能够控制热点地区，”他说道，并补充说，在一些受影响地区，袭击事件有所减少。

塔尔表示，政府也在利用科技手段进行应对，包括使用配备热成像功能的无人机来监控犯罪分子的动向。

他还补充说，当局正在建议通勤者在必要时避开危险路线，并努力确保参与绑架和其他犯罪活动的人员受到起诉。

塔尔承认这对家庭造成了人道主义和心理上的影响。

他说，政府高级官员已走访受灾家庭，表示慰问和安抚，同时当局还通过州紧急事务管理署和州人道主义机构提供财政援助。

塔尔表示：“国家紧急事务管理署和国家人道主义署会提供固定金额的援助。”他还补充说，其他合法机制也被用于向受灾家庭提供资金。

他说，政府认为“恐怖主义和犯罪”是需要采取军事行动以外的措施才能解决的问题。

“恐怖主义是一个跨国问题，”他说。

他指出贫困、失业和文盲等社会经济因素会导致不安全感，并表示联邦和州政府正在努力改善人们获得必需品的途径，同时确保犯罪分子受到法律制裁。

当绑架变成一种生意

安全分析师哈利法·迪克瓦教授将绑架局势描述为“令人悲哀”，并警告说，目前没有明确的迹象表明这场危机很快就会结束。

他表示，绑架勒索赎金已经“演变成一种牟利活动”，不同的武装团体争夺地盘，有时甚至在森林地区争夺控制权。

迪克瓦表示，赎金支付有助于维持犯罪网络的运转，为购买武器提供资金，并吸引年轻的新成员。

这就造成了一种恶性循环，原本就饱受贫困之苦的社区被迫资助那些恐吓他们的团体。

为了换取一位亲人的获释，一些家庭可能会变卖财产，但当其他人被绑架时，他们又会面临另一次赎金要求。

迪克瓦认为，政府需要更强大的情报和技术驱动型行动来定位武装团体并阻止赎金的流动。

他还呼吁为安全机构配备现代化武器、夜视设备和跟踪技术，同时改善在前线作战的士兵和其他安全人员的福利。

对家属而言，支付赎金可能是他们营救亲人的唯一直接途径。对武装团体而言，成功支付赎金可以为他们提供资源和动力，从而实施更多绑架。

穆萨在等他的妻子和年幼的儿子。拉拉巴在等她的妹妹。赫娜在等她准备离家外出打工的儿子。

在阿斯基拉-乌巴，自穆萨袭击事件发生以来，已有 20 所小学关闭，数十名儿童下落不明。

在她们最后一次通话中，拉拉巴的妹妹告诉她：

“这是我最后一次与大家联系。”