Rising rates of kidnapping in Nigeria’s once safe capital show the growing strength of organised crime in the country, writes Uche Igwe.

Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city and the nation’s seat of power, used to be one of the most secure cities in the country. Home to politicians and military officers, one would assume that the city would be protected from criminality, especially armed robbery and banditry. The city has a perception of relative safety from security challenges plaguing parts of the country. However, this appears no longer to be the case. The situation is changing fast, and the city is facing a surge of insecurity. Media reports indicate that in the last year, 87 residents have been killed and another 176 kidnapped. There has been a steady rise in violent attacks within the city. A recent report by a security consulting firm SB Morgen ranked Abuja 11th among cities in Nigeria where frequent abductions occur.

They come in numbers, dressed in military camouflage

In May, Dawaki, a small community came under attack when over 50 armed men invaded the area. Dressed in military uniform they reportedly raided six houses and abducted twenty residents. The next day, another set of men invaded the Shagari quarters, where they attacked the house of a customs officer and abducted his pregnant wife, three children and younger brother. Last January, 11 people were kidnapped in the Sagwari Estate that lies in the Abuja metropolis. On 7 June, 16 gunmen invaded and abducted a resident from another estate in Kuchiko Resettlement Area, a satellite town within the Federal Capital Territory.

These kidnappers come in groups of between 10 to 50 people, usually dressed in military camouflage. Bandits have become more daring and operate more in the satellite towns where most of Abuja’s residents live. Residents sometimes have to sell properties to pay the ransoms for family and loved ones.

Many of the bandits terrorising Abuja use old cattle grazing routes as paths to move their victims. The base of the bandits in Rijana, north of the capital, is said to be huge and already infiltrated by the Islamic State of West Africa Province. The terrorist groups provide the bandits support in making local bombs and firearms used during their attacks.

Insecurity has negatively impacted businesses

A recent report from SBM Intelligence revealed that the deteriorating security in Abuja has negatively impacted business, causing an estimated 33 per cent decline in revenue across the city. Residents are nervous, and many hardly move around at night, impacting social and recreational activities. Transport fares have increased as many people prefer to use taxis or board vehicles in registered motor parks. Food prices have also been affected as many farmers don’t feel safe to go to their farms.

The administration of the Federal Capital Territory has been mobilising combined efforts of security agencies, but these efforts have so far been unable to alter the pattern of escalating violence. Security personnel often respond to distress calls from those under attack but only arrive after the attackers have left with their victims. Many residents complain that security officials treat intelligence leads with levity, suggesting that there could be accomplices among them. For instance, residents in Mpape complained that a particular known bandit informant has been arrested many times only to be released by security agencies. Some of the bandit leaders appear to have links with prominent politicians. Often, when their camps are about to be raided, they get advanced information that enables them to escape. After such raids, these bandit leaders appear in videos taunting security agencies, making them appear almost invincible.

Political will is crucial and must be expressed beyond lip service by using a network of intelligence gathering. Outright combat and kinetic solutions have been helpful but have yet to prove completely effective. Bottom-up, non-kinetic approaches should be considered too. The government is reportedly contemplating the establishment of a group of armed guards to be deployed in the forests around the capital. There is a need to consider innovative approaches and homegrown solutions, such as strengthening the implementation of nomadic education and structural ranching. Timely information gathering, swift responses and coordination among security agencies will bring the much-needed pushback in Nigeria’s most strategic city.

Photo credit: e.r.w.i.n. used with permission CC BY-NC 2.0