Crime

South-East Faces Crisis as Kidnappers Overrun Communities

Published by Tope Fakinlede on August 29th, 2024.

South-East Faces Crisis as Kidnappers Overrun Communities

The South-East region of Nigeria is grappling with a relentless wave of kidnappings that has plunged its communities into a state of fear and despair.

Every week, reports emerge of individuals being abducted across the five states in the region. Victims, including travelers, are often seized and taken to remote forests, where kidnappers demand ransoms from their families.

While some abductees are fortunate enough to escape after paying the ransom, others are not so lucky. Many who have met their captors’ demands are still murdered, with their bodies and personal belongings left scattered in the forests.

These areas, now infamously known as ‘Sambisa forests’ among locals, have become epicenters of terror. Some communities have been entirely abandoned, while others remain in constant fear. Life in the region has become increasingly grim, with every state sharing harrowing stories of the crisis.

Despite numerous efforts by security forces to clear these areas, including intense gun battles with the kidnappers, the menace persists. The perpetrators are often labeled as unknown gunmen or identified as herdsmen who have invaded and occupied the forests.

Residents across the region concur that these forests and bushes have been overtaken by criminal elements, turning them into sites of torture, murder, maiming, rape, and various other criminal activities.