Borno Kidnappings Leave Families Facing Ransom Pressure and School Closures

Families in Nigeria’s Borno State are facing mounting financial and emotional pressure as kidnappings leave relatives separated, ransom demands unpaid and children unable to attend school.

Households affected by abductions have reportedly sold livestock, sought loans, disposed of property and used up their savings in attempts to secure the release of relatives. The demands can leave families vulnerable to further hardship, particularly when another member of the household is later abducted.

Families left waiting for news

Musa Abdullahi Wakawa began searching for ways to raise a ransom after learning that his wife and seven-year-old son had been taken.

Laraba Dauda said her younger sister was abducted on January 13, 2026, along the Biu–Buratai road. Months later, Dauda said the family still did not know where her sister was being held or whether she was safe.

Recalling a call made shortly after the abduction, Dauda said her sister told her: “Aunty, unknown people have kidnapped us and taken us somewhere in the bush. We don’t know where they are taking us. At this moment, Aunty, please just help me with your prayers.”

Dauda called on the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to secure the release of people still in captivity. “We need the government to come to our aid and help rescue our relatives who have spent more than six months in captivity,” she said.

Anjikwi Hena said his son was abducted on March 30, 2026, while preparing to travel to Maiduguri to look for work. The cases reflect the wider disruption caused by abductions in Borno, where families are also dealing with psychological distress and prolonged uncertainty.

Schools affected by attacks

Violence has also disrupted education in rural communities. In Askira-Uba Local Government Area, the number of functioning primary schools fell from 76 to 56 after a May attack in Mussa and the closure of 20 schools, according to Fasuma Askira.

On May 15, suspected rebel fighters attacked Mussa and abducted dozens of children. A register later obtained by news services identified 40 missing children, although community and government figures varied. The Borno State government later referred to about 44 children as still missing.

Junior secondary students from Mussa were moved to a government boarding school in Uba. Soldiers and local vigilantes were also deployed in Mussa and Lassa, according to Askira.

Another attack took place on June 29, when armed rebels targeted the Government Day Secondary School in Lassa while students were sitting National Examinations Council examinations. Some students were recovered, but 36 students and a teacher were reported to remain in captivity.

Amnesty International Nigeria has warned that fear of abduction is pushing children out of school, particularly in rural areas. The organisation said at least 1,100 people were abducted across Nigeria between January and April 2026, while cautioning that the actual number could be higher because incidents in remote communities may go unreported.

Government response

Usman Tar, Borno’s commissioner for information and internal security, said the state was using military and nonmilitary measures, logistical support, civilian volunteers and drones with thermal capabilities to respond to insecurity.

Tar said these efforts had reduced attacks in some affected areas and enabled authorities to dominate hotspot locations, claims that were not independently verified in the supplied information. He also said affected families were receiving fixed sums through the State Emergency Management Agency and the State Humanitarian Agency.

Amnesty director Isa Sanusi said kidnappings had become a major source of fear and financial strain. “Apart from killing people, gunmen are now on a rampage of abductions, largely for lucrative ransom,” Sanusi said. He added that some victims “stay months at the mercy of gunmen in punishing situations.”

Security analyst Professor Khalifa Dikwa described ransom kidnapping as a profit-making venture involving armed groups competing for territory. He said ransom payments help sustain criminal networks, finance weapons purchases and attract younger recruits.