Experts call for security overhaul as rising kidnappings expose gaps in Nigeria’s anti-crime strategy

Security experts and policy analysts have called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture amid rising cases of kidnapping and banditry across the country, warning that criminal groups are operating increasingly sophisticated and profitable networks.

Recent data from conflict monitoring organisations and human rights groups indicate that mass abductions remain one of Nigeria’s most pressing security challenges, with experts arguing that existing responses have focused too heavily on military operations while neglecting intelligence, community policing and long-term preventive measures.

According to data from Nextier’s Violent Conflicts Database, at least 279 people were abducted nationwide within a single month, representing a 19.7 per cent increase compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. Reports by Amnesty International also indicate that more than 1,100 people were kidnapped over a three-month period, with many of the attacks targeting rural communities, internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and major transport routes.

Analysts say the North-West and North-Central regions remain the epicentres of kidnapping activities, accounting for an estimated 60 per cent of reported mass abductions. Rural communities continue to suffer the highest number of attacks, although security experts note that urban outskirts and major transit corridors, including parts of the Federal Capital Territory, are becoming increasingly vulnerable.

Despite increased government spending on defence, experts argue that poor implementation of security budgets continues to undermine efforts to tackle insecurity.

Members of the House of Representatives recently expressed concern that several security-related Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) recorded budget implementation rates of less than 30 per cent, leaving frontline security personnel without adequate equipment, logistics and welfare support.

House caucus representative, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, described the situation as unacceptable, noting that low implementation levels have weakened the country’s capacity to respond effectively to escalating security threats.

Beyond budget implementation, security analysts have also renewed calls for greater transparency in the management of security votes, urging governments at all levels to ensure that discretionary security funds are properly audited and directed toward intelligence gathering, surveillance technology and community-based security initiatives.

Experts believe that addressing the country’s kidnapping crisis requires more than military offensives. They advocate a multi-pronged strategy that includes intelligence-led policing, improved performance evaluation for security operations, decentralised policing structures and economic interventions aimed at reducing youth unemployment and poverty, which they say fuel recruitment into criminal networks.

Retired military officers and criminologists have also reiterated calls for state and community policing, arguing that locally driven intelligence networks and recognised regional security outfits can significantly improve response times during attacks and strengthen collaboration with federal security agencies.

They further stressed the need to measure the effectiveness of security operations based on actual reductions in crime and improvements in public safety rather than the number of deployments or security meetings held.

As kidnapping continues to threaten lives, livelihoods and economic activities across several parts of the country, analysts say Nigeria’s security strategy must evolve from reactive operations to an intelligence-driven system capable of preventing attacks before they occur while addressing the underlying socio-economic conditions that sustain criminal enterprises.