Follow Us on Google
From Abel Leonard, Lafia
A fresh wave of fear and uncertainty has overtaken Nasarawa State following a chilling spike in cases of abduction. A number of residents were abducted recently and there are fears that more may soon walk the same traumatising path as the nightmare continues to reign in the state.
No one or group, locals said, is spared from the surge that is sweeping through communities, as the victims cut across age, sex, tribe and professions.
Statistics indicated that, from September 2025 to October 2025 alone, the state recorded at least six mind-blowing cases of kidnapping, some of which included instances where the abductees were made to endure long treks through forest paths, starvation and battering.
According to Samuel Nasamu, pastor and founder, Word of God Church, Lafia, the marauders stormed his residence around 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 21, 2025.
They broke his gate with hammers and forced their way in, before whisking away his wife, Patience, and a female church member who was visiting: “Our three-month-old baby was left crying on the bed, but that did not move her abductors. It was the most terrifying moment of my life. They pointed their guns at me, demanding money. When I couldn’t immediately provide it, they dragged my wife away, leaving our baby behind. I will never forget the sound of her crying, that night.”
The kidnappers later called and demanded N50 million for the release of the two women.
A community elder, Simon Adogi, condemned the incident and described it as truly disturbing: “In the past six months, more than 10 people were kidnapped around Agyaragu and Daddere communities.”
Barely a week after the pastor’s encounter, the kidnappers struck again. This time around in Shabu, Lafia. They went for Dr. Michael Anazodo, attached to the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia.
Anazodo, who regained his freedom not long ago, told Daily Sun that the kidnappers stormed his residence at 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, September 27, 2025, and whisked him away.
He recalled that he had returned home later that day only to discover that one of his children was not feeling well. As a doctor, he had earlier treated the child, but on discovering that the child was not getting better, he decided to take the child to the hospital.
On returning, while entering the gate, the kidnappers entered the compound through the same gate he had used. His daughter was about to close the gate when they gained access to the compound. He had no choice but to go with them.
He said, initially, they held his daughter, but he pleaded that they should leave her and that he would go with them. He was marched barefooted for about 10 kilometres: “I was beaten, and it was traumatic. I thought I was going to die. Ever since I was released, I have not gotten myself together.”
He confirmed that the kidnappers told him that they had been monitoring him since last year, but that he had escaped their traps on previous attempts. He also confirmed to Daily Sun that ransom was paid, but did not mention the amount.
A colleague at the hospital who pleaded anonymity for security reasons told our correspondent that the incident sent shockwaves through the medical community: “Dr. Anazodo had just returned home when the kidnappers attacked. They took him away at gunpoint. It was horrifying.
“The abductors contacted his family, demanding N20 million ransom. We begged and negotiated. His family sold their car and borrowed money to meet the demand.”
Anazodo, after his release two weeks later, reportedly told his colleagues at the hospital: “I am alive by the grace of God. They beat me, starved me, but I held on to hope. I just want to go back to serving my patients.”
On the same night that Anazodo was kidnapped, another shocking abduction occurred in the same Shabu community. Miss Paulina Ena was kidnapped on her way back home. She is a staff of Nasarawa State Government House.
She recalled that she was on her way home when, on reaching her house, they surrounded her car, asked her to come down, and took her away. She was walked through bushes and later found herself in another community near Agyaragu, about five kilometres from Shabu.
The kidnappers spoke like people who knew her very well, explaining and telling her things about herself. She admitted that ransom was paid but didn’t disclose the amount to Daily Sun. However, insiders revealed that N15 million was paid for her release.
She said: “The trauma is so such that I will not pray for anyone to be in such a situation. Let me tell you, I will never pray for even my enemies to fall victim of such. I have packed from that house to another place. I can’t imagine staying there; the trauma will not allow me.”
Perhaps the most heartbreaking case in recent times was the abduction of a two-year-old boy, Godwin Abeson, who was abducted from his parents’ home in Sabon Pegi, Shabu, Lafia Local Government, on October 14, 2025.
According to police reports, three suspects, a woman, her husband and an accomplice, have been arrested in connection with the crime. They had demanded N15 million for the toddler’s release but ran out of luck as they were arrested.
The boy’s father told Daily Sun: “We could not sleep for two days. My wife fainted twice. It is something I would never wish for anyone.”
Other News
Another kidnapping happened just a few kilometres away in Tudun Amba, Lafia. Dr. Muhammed Egye Osolafia, senior special assistant to Governor Abdullahi Sule on humanitarian services, was taken by gunmen who broke into his residence and dragged him away.
His abduction drew immediate reaction from the state government. Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Yakubu Lawal, described it as “deeply unfortunate and unacceptable.”
Chief Press Secretary, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Jibril Gwamna, was also kidnapped in the Tudun Amba axis. Narrating his ordeal, he said he was hit on the head and sustained swollen legs as a result of beatings and trekking.
He spoke while on hospital bed: “Only God saved me! These guys have been monitoring me for a long time. According to them, the day I was kidnapped was the 10th time they had come for me and finally succeeded. They said I escaped nine times”
He said it happened that he came back from work and decided to go and pray. On his way back from the mosque, close to his house, he was surrounded by the kidnappers, one pointing a gun at him and others with machetes: “They asked me to take off my slippers and walk barefooted.”
The distance was about five kilometers into the bush until morning when he came out in Adogi, Keana Local Government. He added that it was traumatic as ransom was paid but did not disclose the amount.
Residents of Tudun Amba are unanimous that abduction has become common in the area. Mary Jacob said: “Hardly a week passes without someone being kidnapped here or in the outskirts of Lafia. We now live in constant fear, especially in the evening and at night.”
As a result of the reoccurring incident, business owners in Lafia have reported sharp decline patronage after dusk. Solomon Agada said: “People now close their shops by 6:30 p.m.” “Nobody wants to risk being kidnapped,” said , a shop owner at Mami Market
A human rights activist, Zainab Isah, herself once a victim of a failed abduction, said the emotional scars are worse than the physical.
“You live every day reliving the moment, the gunshots, the voices, the fears. You never really get healed, you just keep moving over it,” she said.
She urged the Federal Government to declare a national emergency on kidnapping, noting that the crime has become “a parallel economy.”
“Ransoms worth millions exchange hands weekly. It’s a big business now. Unless, the networks are dismantled, it will only get worse,” she warned.
The Coordinator, Coalition for Security and Peace in Nasarawa State, Rebecca Maku, argued that lack of quick response units and poor community policing has remained major gap in the fight against kidnapping.
“We appreciate the efforts of the Nigeria Police, but their response time is slow. Many victims suffer for days before any rescue attempt is made,” she held.
Speaking to Daily Sun, a trader named Joy Aku, said they have been having sleepless nights ever since. “We hear motorcycles moving around at night. Sometimes, strange people stay in uncompleted buildings. We feel abandoned by the authorities,” she said.
Another resident, Ibrahim Musa, lamented that the police presence is mostly reactive rather than preventive. “They only come after something happens. We need patrols, not promises,” he said.
In several parts of the state, communities have resorted to forming vigilance groups to defend themselves. While these groups have recorded some successes, their limitations are glaring. In Doma and Awe, for instance, local hunters patrol roads at night with dane guns and torches.
“We do what we can with what we have,” said their leader, Musa Gambo. “But the kidnappers often have superior weapons. Sometimes, we just hide when we hear gunfire.”
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has also expressed concern over the rising insecurity, calling on communities to cooperate with security agencies. Speaking recently during a stakeholders’ meeting in Lafia, he said, “Security is everyone’s business. The government will continue to invest in intelligence gathering and technology to combat this menace.”
As part of ongoing efforts to combat the rising wave of kidnapping and armed robbery in Nassarawa State, the State Police Command has arrested 25 suspects, including 24 alleged kidnappers and one armed robber, in a series of coordinated operations across the state.
Commissioner of Police, Shetima Jauro Mohammed, who disclosed this during a recent press briefing in Lafia, said the operations led to the recovery of three firearms, eight rounds of ammunition, and the rescue of several kidnap victims.
According to him, the arrests were made through intelligence-led operations across Lafia, Awe, Keana, Obi, Doma, and other parts of the state. Among the major breakthroughs was the foiling of a child kidnapping in Lafia, where a two year old boy was rescued unharmed, and the busting of a kidnapping ring in Keana, which saw the arrest of six suspects and recovery of weapons.
The Command also uncovered a N20 million ransom syndicate linked to the abduction of a Fulani woman in Ekye, as well as several attempted kidnappings thwarted in Obi and Doma LGs.
