Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has raised alarm over a worrying development in the country’s kidnapping crisis, revealing that some individuals are now staging their own abductions to extort money from family members.
Speaking on the deteriorating security situation, Ribadu highlighted that the crisis is not only driven by criminal gangs but also by some citizens who allegedly collaborate with kidnappers or create fake abduction scenarios for financial gain.
“We are seeing cases where people provide information to kidnappers. In some instances, individuals even organize their own kidnappings to collect ransom from their families,” the NSA said.
He added that investigations have uncovered situations where victims were not genuinely abducted but conspired with friends or acquaintances to defraud relatives.
“I have witnessed cases where a young man arranged with his friends to stage his kidnapping so that his father would pay a ransom,” Ribadu revealed.
The NSA also warned of the rising use of technology in these staged incidents, noting that artificial intelligence tools are now being used to simulate distress calls and even clone voices.
“Some manipulate AI tools to change their voices, claim they have been kidnapped, collect ransom money, and then reappear,” he explained.
Ribadu stressed that this trend is undermining legitimate security efforts and eroding public trust, as families are increasingly uncertain whether ransom demands are genuine. He emphasized that community complicity—through providing intelligence, logistics, or cover for criminals—remains a major hurdle in tackling kidnappings.
“There is a need for societal reorientation. Nigerians must take collective responsibility for security instead of aiding criminal activities,” he urged, calling for renewed public awareness and cooperation with law enforcement.
In a related statement, Adamu Laka, National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC-ONSA), raised concerns that some Point of Sale (POS) operators are facilitating terrorist and kidnapping activities by processing ransom payments on behalf of criminals.
“Ransom money is often transferred to POS accounts provided by kidnappers, allowing them to easily collect and withdraw funds. We are addressing this issue and will not relent,” Laka said during a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
The revelations have sparked concern over the growing sophistication of kidnapping schemes in Nigeria and the challenge of differentiating real abductions from staged incidents.
