Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has sparked fresh discussion on the origins of Nigeria’s growing kidnapping crisis, insisting the problem did not begin in the North.
He warned that the menace has escalated to a point where no region in the country can claim to be safe or unaffected.
Governor Sule made the remarks during a live appearance on Sunday Politics, highlighting the deep concern Nigerian governors feel over the nation’s security challenges. He described the atmosphere at their recent meeting as tense, with many leaders expressing fear and frustration over the increasing wave of abductions across the country.
Sule noted that Nigerians often forget past events too quickly, which makes it easier to wrongly assign blame to certain regions. “We usually forget things very, very easily and are quick to point accusing fingers at others,” he said.
He said the high tension at the meeting reflected how worried state leaders have become. “You needed to see the stress and tension at that meeting concerning insecurity,” he said. “People raised their voices, people were angry, warning, thinking we are not doing enough. We were accusing ourselves that we are not doing enough.” Sule stressed that such agitation shows the seriousness with which leaders are approaching the crisis.
Pushing back against the widespread belief that kidnappings started in northern Nigeria, Sule traced the history of abductions to the country’s oil-producing regions long before the North became a hotspot. “Between 2003 and 2009, no kidnappings were taking place in northern Nigeria, but they were happening in the oil regions,” he said.
Recalling his years in the oil and gas sector, Sule said kidnappers frequently targeted foreign and local oil workers in the Niger Delta, making abductions a regular part of life in the industry. He cited several companies that suffered repeated attacks, including one involving Tetra Tech, which led staff to refuse returning to Nigeria. “One of them was kidnapped, and they made up their mind not to come back,” he explained, describing how the crisis forced him to operate for a period in Port Harcourt and Trans-Amadi.
Sule said these early abductions were mostly financially motivated, with kidnappers seizing oil workers to demand ransom from companies. The situation only began to improve during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration after negotiations aimed at easing tensions over resource control and militancy.
The governor cautioned against viewing kidnapping as a regional problem, stressing that such thinking allows criminals to expand their operations. “Kidnapping started in the South with oil workers, and people in the North thought it was none of their business. Now it is a major problem in the North. All Nigerians should work together to end kidnapping,” he said.
Despite the alarming trend, Sule remains optimistic that Nigeria will eventually overcome the menace. “Kidnapping has come to northern Nigeria; this is what is happening, and it will come to an end,” he concluded.
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