Money, Violence and Children: Why Nigerian Schools are the Targets of Gang Abductions 

Recent Event

On the 21st of November 2025, 303 students and 12 teachers in a Catholic school in Niger State, Nigeria were abducted by unidentified gunmen. Although all students and staff were released by December 21st, with 50 children having escaped soon after and the remaining being released by the kidnappers [1], the case has highlighted Nigeria’s economic instability, rampant violence and concerns over government handling of the crisis. The attack is the 13th such incident in the past 11 years, and took place days after gunmen targeted a government secondary school in the neighboring Kebbi state, abducting 25 schoolgirls. The worst case of kidnapping in the country since the 2014 Chibok kidnapping of more than 270 schoolgirls, this incident in Niger state brought global attention to Nigeria’s growing kidnapping crisis, as more than 1,400 Nigerian students have been kidnapped since 2014 [2]. To make matters worse, the state government had claimed that the Catholic school had reopened for studies in defiance of an order to close temporarily due to security threats. Most. Rev [3]. Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria’s Niger state chapter, however, had asserted that the claim was false. Yohanna’s claim that “we did not receive any circular. It must be an afterthought and a way to shift blame,” [4] not only provides a contradictory perspective, but echoes longstanding claims of government mismanagement and corruption with regards to the abductions. No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings and it is unclear if the government agreed to ransom payments [5]; with the release of all the victims, it is unlikely that lingering questions over either will be resolved, further fueling the growing sentiment of public mistrust in Nigeria’s government. 

 

Historical Precedence
Kidnappings have been on the rise in Nigeria for the past two decades. The most notable kidnapping case is undoubtedly the 2014 Chibok kidnapping, perpetrated by the jihadist militant group Boko Haram. Of the 276 schoolgirls taken from Chibok in Borno state, over 100 were rescued or had their release negotiated by the Nigerian military and some others escaped, yet dozens are still missing 12 years later [6]. Whilst in captivity, many girls were forcibly converted to Islam and sold as brides to fighters within the group. Even after their release, many face ostracization and stigma for their association with the group, with some girls unable to return to their villages [7]. Boko Haram has also specifically targeted schools, which are seen as easy targets. Between 2009 and 2015, more than 910 schools have been destroyed by the group’s attacks and a further 1,500 have been closed out of security fears. At least 611 teachers have been deliberately targeted and killed and more than 2,000 civilians have been abducted. Mausi Sugen, Nigerian researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that Boko Haram has essentially “robbed an entire generation of children in northeast Nigeria of their education.” [8] Since the Chibok kidnapping, at least 17 cases of mass abductions have been documented by Amnesty International, with at least 1,700 children being seized from schools. However, a large portion of these kidnappings were not carried out by Boko Haram or other religious insurgencies. Instead, Nigeria has seen an alarming rise in commercial kidnappings.

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Commercial kidnappings are economic in nature; the purpose of the abduction is to ransom the victim back for large sums of money. Often carried out by amorphous groups of armed bandits and gunmen, ransom kidnappings have been particularly common in the North and Northeast of the country. Over 200 children were taken from schools in the Northern states of Kaduna and Sokoto in February and March of 2024 alone. [10] Journalist Ibrahim M. Ndamitso noted that Niger state has become “a transit point”, with bandits “taking animals, stealing people’s cows, [and] picking people for ransoms.” [11] Although the Nigerian Senate outlawed ransom payments for kidnapping victims in 2022, imposing a 15-year sentence for the act [12], many families are willing to take the risk, fearing the death of their relatives if payments are not made. This suggests that simply outlawing the practice will not discourage kidnappings, as the chairman of the Senate’s judiciary, human rights and legal committee had claimed; nor has President Buhari’s classification of armed kidnappers as “terrorists”. Evidently, any solution to the issue must first address the root cause of the country’s abduction crisis. 

 

Root Cause of the Issue

Most experts have identified the two main causes of the crisis as economic desperation and communal violence. With regards to Boko Haram and kidnappings by militant groups, abductions are largely a means to conscript fighters, traffic women and girls into sexual slavery, and to force the Nigerian government to release captured fighters or pay ransoms in exchange for the release of abduction victims. This tactic is now one source of funding for the group’s operations. [13]

Commercial kidnappings, conversely, are motivated almost entirely by financial profit. Bulama Bukarti, a Nigerian human rights lawyer, said that such kidnappings are used to “extort ransoms from either [the victims’] families or from the government” and that payments could reach “hundreds of thousands of dollars”. [14] In both cases, schools and religious houses are seen as soft targets due to both the relative lack of security and the easy access to large groups of people. These locations also draw more attention and publicity, which allows groups to force the government into negotiations and ransoms. [15] Many have also pointed to the government’s handling of the situation as being the reason behind the worsening situation, pointing to insufficient security measures, neglect towards freed victims and prioritization of propaganda and reputation. [16]

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Possible Religious Tensions

Some have claimed that the kidnappings are a result of religious tensions, primarily between the country’s Muslim majority and Christian minority, with 56.1% of the population being Muslim and 43.4% being Christian. US President Donald Trump has claimed the existence of a “Christian genocide” [17], threatening military intervention if “the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians.” [18] However, this accusation has been doubted by both the Nigerian government and Christian groups within the country. 

 

The bandits involved in the recent Niger state kidnapping do not seem to have any affiliation with religious or armed groups, whose attacks are usually part of a sectarian agenda. Whilst there have been increased attacks on Christian farming communities in central Nigeria, journalist Amaka Okoye pointed out that within Niger state there had recently been an attack on a secular government secondary school as well as an Islamic school, casting doubt on the claim that the Christian population was being specifically targeted. [19] The Christian Association of Nigeria stated that faith was not the sole reason for the attacks, asserting that such claims were efforts by foreign groups to exploit the domestic crisis. [20]

 

Possible solutions 
Various solutions and approaches have been proposed and attempted to address the dire situation. To combat the Niger state incident, the government immediately ordered 47 colleges to close immediately and the state government ordered all schools closed down. However, while this may ensure the safety of the students, repeated closures of schools have placed a strain on the country’s education system, with Bukarti noting that the closing of hundreds of schools interrupted the education of children in the area. [21] Following the Chibok abductions, the Safe Schools Initiative had been launched in an attempt to improve security around schools. However, According to Amnesty International, bureaucratic complications and allegations of corruption impeded its implementation and “many northern states have closed hundreds of schools indefinitely, disrupting the education of thousands of children.” [22] Education in Chibok is still feeling the effects of the abductions, despite the rebuilding of the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok and the establishment of day secondary schools and a technical school. A lack of improvement in the security crisis has meant that many parents remain skeptical of sending their children back to school, leading to minimal in-school learning and a deepening education crisis in the region. [23] Nearly 1 million children have been left without access to schools. [24] Furthermore, due to the high rates of attacks in the Northern and Northwestern states, education in the region is disproportionately affected, creating a divide between the educational opportunities in the South and the North. 

 

Aside from the struggles in the education system, the government also faces the challenge of strengthening security. President Tinubu ordered the hiring of 30,000 more police officers and diverted resources from VIP protection services to the protection of rural areas, in response to the recent attack. [25] Many have criticized the government’s response as being insufficient and flawed. Political activist Aisha Yesufu argued that the government’s method of response was lacking, as quick negotiations were prioritized over holding the culprits responsible. She noted that in many of the recent kidnapping cases, ransoms were paid and victims returned without any prosecution of the bandits nor even knowledge of who was responsible. [26] Human Right Watch further alleged that the federal security forces were directly endangering children by using schools as military bases. [27] Earlier in the year, the Nigerian Information Minister had claimed that “we can move freely at any time, day or night…this in itself is a testament to the fact that Nigerian authorities are doing their best to ensure that this cycle of violence is stopped.” [28] Yet this came just two months after a family of six were abducted from the capital city of Abuja, where the minister sits. One of the girls abducted was killed after ransom payments were delayed. [29]

 

Yet another challenge comes with the rehabilitation of the freed victims. The UN has alleged that the Nigerian government provided inadequate support for victims and failed to provide any form of counselling or schooling for those that escaped on their own. [30] Amnesty International has lodged further allegations of forced marriages between rescued Chibok victims and former Boko Haram fighters in government attempts to appease the fighters. [31]

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Evidently, the kidnapping crisis and welfare of the civilians involved has been further complicated by state politics as government officials struggle to balance care for the victims and public safety. The Nigerian government faces a uniquely multifaceted challenge, juggling armed rebellions, economic struggles and deep-rooted cultural mindsets. Kemi Okenyodo, executive director of the Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative in Abuja, has suggested that community involvement in designing and implementing safety initiatives would reduce inefficiency and corruption. [32] Either way, it’s clear that the current system is not enough to protect the Nigerian public, and fundamental changes must be made if there’s to be safety for Nigeria’s schoolchildren. 

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[1] Ibid.

[2] Sarah Shamim, "Nigeria School Kidnapping: Who’s Behind It, Why Were Children Targeted?," Al Jazeera, last modified November 24, 2025, https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2025/11/24/nigeria-school-kidnapping-whos-behind-it-why-were-children-targeted.

[3]  Honorific title given to high-ranking Christian clergy or ministers

[4] Hundreds of Children Abducted from School in Nigeria | CBC News," CBC, last modified November 22, 2025, https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/children-abducted-nigeria-school-9.6989006. 

[5] Ibid. 

[6] Ibid.

[7] "Nigeria: UN committee finds grave and systematic violations persist after Chibok mass abduction of schoolgirls," United Nations Media Center, last modified September 17, 2025, https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/nigeria-un-committee-finds-grave-and-systematic-violations-persist-after. 

[8] "Nigeria: Northeast Children Robbed of Education," Human Rights Watch, last modified October 28, 2020, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/04/11/nigeria-northeast-children-robbed-education.

[9] Amnesty International, "Nigeria: Decade After Boko Haram Attack on Chibok, 82 Girls Still in Captivity," Amnesty International, last modified April 16, 2024, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/04/nigeria-decade-after-boko-haram-attack-on-chibok-82-girls-still-in-captivity/.

[10]  "Nigeria: 10 Years After Chibok, Schoolchildren Still at Risk," Human Rights Watch, last modified April 11, 2024, https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/11/nigeria-10-years-after-chibok-schoolchildren-still-risk. 

[11]  Shamim, “Nigeria School Kidnapping.”

[12]  "Nigeria Outlaws Ransom Payments, Kidnap Now Punishable by Death," Al Jazeera, last modified April 27, 2022, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/27/nigeria-outlaws-ransom-payments-abduction-punishable-by-death. 

[13] "'Boko Haram Members Earn $3,000 Daily But Nigerian Soldiers Get N1,000'," Sahara Reporters — Breaking News, Latest Stories, Photos, Videos Citizen Journalism in Africa, last modified April 29, 2019, https://saharareporters.com/2019/04/29/boko-haram-members-earn-3000-daily-nigerian-soldiers-get-n1000. 

[14] Shamim, “Nigeria School Kidnapping.”

[15]  DW News, "Why have there been so many school kidnappings in Nigeria recently?," YouTube, November 25, 2025, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vd4sG-Qai8.

[16] Amnesty International, "Nigeria: Decade After Boko Haram Attack on Chibok, 82 Girls Still in Captivity."

[17] Shamim, “Nigeria School Kidnapping.”

[18] Ibid. 

[19] DW News, "Why have there been so many school kidnappings in Nigeria recently?."

[20] Shamim, “Nigeria School Kidnapping.”

[21] Ibid. 

[22] Amnesty International, "Nigeria: Decade After Boko Haram Attack on Chibok, 82 Girls Still in Captivity."

[23] Ibid. 

[24] "Nigeria: Northeast Children Robbed of Education.”

[25] Shamim, “Nigeria School Kidnapping.”

[26] DW News, "Why have there been so many school kidnappings in Nigeria recently?."

[27] "Nigeria: Northeast Children Robbed of Education."

[28] BBC Africa, "Inside Nigeria's kidnapping epidemic," YouTube, July 2025, accessed February 12, 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdPYMO2zgjY. 

[29] Ibid. 

[30] "Nigeria: UN committee finds grave and systematic violations persist after Chibok mass abduction of schoolgirls.”

[31] Amnesty International, "Nigeria: Decade After Boko Haram Attack on Chibok, 82 Girls Still in Captivity."

[32] "Nigeria: 10 Years After Chibok, Schoolchildren Still at Risk."

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Glossary: 

Jihadist: An extremist militant Islamic ideology that seeks to establish Islamic states

Sectarian: Concerning or arising from membership of, or divisions between, religious or political groups

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Sources: 

Amnesty International. "Nigeria: Decade After Boko Haram Attack on Chibok, 82 Girls Still in Captivity." Amnesty International. Last modified April 16, 2024. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/04/nigeria-decade-after-boko-haram-attack-on-chibok-82-girls-still-in-captivity/. 

 

BBC Africa. "Inside Nigeria's kidnapping epidemic." YouTube. July 2025. Accessed February 12, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdPYMO2zgjY. 

 

"'Boko Haram Members Earn $3,000 Daily But Nigerian Soldiers Get N1,000'." Sahara Reporters — Breaking News, Latest Stories, Photos, Videos Citizen Journalism in Africa. Last modified April 29, 2019. https://saharareporters.com/2019/04/29/boko-haram-members-earn-3000-daily-nigerian-soldiers-get-n1000. 

 

DW News. "Why have there been so many school kidnappings in Nigeria recently?" YouTube. November 25, 2025. Accessed February 12, 2026. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vd4sG-Qai8.

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"Hundreds of Children Abducted from School in Nigeria | CBC News." CBC. Last modified November 22, 2025. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/children-abducted-nigeria-school-9.6989006. 

 

"Nigeria Outlaws Ransom Payments, Kidnap Now Punishable by Death." Al Jazeera. Last modified April 27, 2022. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/27/nigeria-outlaws-ransom-payments-abduction-punishable-by-death. 

 

"Nigeria: 10 Years After Chibok, Schoolchildren Still at Risk." Human Rights Watch. Last modified April 11, 2024. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/11/nigeria-10-years-after-chibok-schoolchildren-still-risk. 

 

"Nigeria: Northeast Children Robbed of Education." Human Rights Watch. Last modified October 28, 2020. https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/04/11/nigeria-northeast-children-robbed-education. 

 

"Nigeria: UN committee finds grave and systematic violations persist after Chibok mass abduction of schoolgirls." United Nations Media Center. Last modified September 17, 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/09/nigeria-un-committee-finds-grave-and-systematic-violations-persist-after. 

 

Shamim, Sarah. "Nigeria School Kidnapping: Who’s Behind It, Why Were Children Targeted?" Al Jazeera. Last modified November 24, 2025. https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2025/11/24/nigeria-school-kidnapping-whos-behind-it-why-were-children-targeted.