Parents of Abducted Children in Nigeria Live in Fear
Many parents whose children were abducted 10 days ago from a boarding school in Nigeria are living in fear. They are reluctant to speak with authorities or journalists, fearing reprisals from the kidnappers. One parent, who asked to be called Aliyu for his safety, shared his concerns with the BBC.
“If they hear you say anything about them, before you know it they’ll come for you. They’ll come to your house and take you into the bush,” he said. His young son is one of over 300 pupils taken when armed men attacked St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri village, Niger state, in the early hours of 21 November. Some of the children taken are as young as five years old, and about 250 remain missing, although officials have claimed this number is exaggerated.
This incident is part of a growing trend of mass abductions in northern and central Nigeria, often attributed to criminal gangs known locally as “bandits.” These groups see kidnapping for ransom as an easy way to make money. Aliyu explained that his village is remote and close to these bandits, and while he knows where they hide, it’s too dangerous to go there himself.
He is desperate and worried, especially since some captives have died during previous abductions due to sickness or unpaid ransoms. “I feel so bitter and my wife hasn’t eaten for days… We’re not happy at all. We need someone to help us to take action.”
A few days before the Papiri abduction, 25 girls were taken from their school in Maga, located 200km further north in Kebbi state. One girl managed to escape, and the rest were rescued by security forces last week from what authorities described as a “farm settlement.” Bandits typically reside in cattle camps deep in the bush, and many are ethnic Fulani people, traditionally nomadic herders.
No information has been released about whether a ransom was paid to free the girls from Maga. In Nigeria, paying ransoms is illegal, but if not paid, hostages can be killed. Relatives often rely on crowdfunding, and in cases of mass school abductions, authorities are sometimes suspected of negotiating for their release.
No group has claimed responsibility for the recent school kidnappings, though the government has suggested that jihadists, not bandits, might be responsible. Locals in Kebbi and Niger states are eager for more information on this.
Yusuf, the legal guardian of some of the Maga girls, believes such kidnappings could not have occurred without informants in the community. “All these abductions are not common in Kebbi. These kidnappings can only happen with the connivance of someone from the community, because no stranger can come to a place and pull something like this off without the help of locals,” he told the BBC.
New Approaches to Addressing Kidnappings
There has been a surprising shift in some areas where villages have long been victims of bandits. In the absence of effective policing, some communities have developed their own solutions. In the north-west, some affected communities have struck “peace deals” with bandits in exchange for access to mines, according to David Nwaugwe, a security analyst.
These deals have been effective in some regions, leading to a decline in attacks. Katsina state, known for insecurity and mass kidnappings, has seen a shift thanks to peace agreements between bandit leaders and community leaders. Representatives from both sides meet under trees to negotiate terms, including guarantees of safety and access to resources.
In Jibia, an area that endured over a decade of violence, a peace deal was reached in March. Community leader Ibrahim Sabiu, who represented Jibia during talks, described the situation as untenable. “Schools and hospitals all closed down. Hundreds of people were killed and hundreds more kidnapped for ransom.”
The peace deal included the re-opening of schools and a guarantee of non-attack. Bandits also requested access to clean water and safe passage for their cattle. In return, the community sought the release of those kidnapped.
Audu Ofisa, a bandit leader involved in the Jibia talks, supported the move towards peace: “Life is full of ups and downs, we are happy to go into another phase.”
Shift in Insecurity Patterns
While some areas have seen gains from peace deals, analysts note that insecurity has shifted. Some gangs may target regions further south, where economic conditions are better and ransom payments are more feasible. Christian Ani, from the Institute for Security Studies, noted that the lines between violent extremist groups and bandits are blurred, as they operate in similar areas.
Nwaugwe agrees that there is no direct link between Trump’s comments and the recent increase in attacks. He suggests that gangs are targeting soft targets like schools due to their ease of access for ransom. However, he emphasizes that a two-pronged approach—combining military force with negotiation—is necessary to address the issue.
For the parents of Papiri, the dream of living peacefully with the enemy remains distant as they pray for their children’s safe return.
