Youth & Safety: Insecurity, Kidnappings, and Everyday Risks in 2025 Nigeria
In 2025, insecurity has remained a central concern for many Nigerians—especially the youth. Between widespread kidnappings, banditry, farmer–herder conflicts, and violence in volatile regions, many young people are constantly negotiating risk. This article examines the latest data, the lived realities, responses from communities and government, and practical steps young Nigerians can take to stay safe. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
📊 The Facts: Scale and Trends
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Kidnappings are rampant. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports an estimated 2,235,954 kidnapping incidents between May 2023 and April 2024
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Rural vs Urban divide: Most kidnappings happen in rural areas (~1,668,104 cases) compared to urban ones (~567,850)
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Huge ransom costs: Households affected paid an average N2.7 million per incident, totaling over ₦2.2 trillion in ransoms paid across the period.
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Mass abductions continue: Since 2019, there have been 735 mass kidnappings (defined as abductions of five or more people) across the country, involving over 15,000 victims.
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Deaths rising with insecurity: In the first half of 2025, Nigeria recorded around 6,800 deaths tied to insecurity events (banditry, insurgency, communal violence etc.)
💔 How Youths Are Affected
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Fear and mobility restrictions. Many young people avoid certain routes, settle for fewer hours outside home, or even decline job offers in places deemed unsafe.
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Economic cost. Paying ransom is not just a financial burden: it disrupts families, forces diversion of funds that would have gone to education or investment, and sometimes leads to debt.
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Psychological impact. Living with insecurity causes stress, anxiety, insomnia, feelings of helplessness. Young people report being constantly on alert—worrying about family, about travelling, about even basic daily tasks.
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Disruption of education & opportunity. In regions with frequent raids or kidnappings, schools shut down; parents are unwilling to send their children to school; some youths migrate internally.
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Marginalization and displacement. Youths in conflict-zones are often displaced, losing their homes, supports, and prospects. This can push some into vulnerable or illicit livelihoods just to survive.
🌍 Government & Community Responses
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Security operations & rescue efforts. Security forces have carried out rescues—such as freeing hostages in northern states.
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Monitoring by human rights bodies. The NHRC regularly reports killings, kidnappings, and other rights violations—calling for accountability and better protection.
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Local community vigilantes and self-help groups. Some communities have created local watch groups, warn each other via WhatsApp or social media about suspicious movement, and sometimes put up early warning systems.
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Advocacy & awareness. NGOs, religious bodies, youth groups are speaking up—demanding better protection, urging transparency on ransom policies, calling for improved infrastructure (roads, police stations) and more effective policing.
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Policy efforts (though limited). There are calls for more investment in rural security, better intelligence, more funding for police, but execution is uneven and constrained by corruption, funding, terrain, and manpower issues.
🔐 Practical Safety Tips for Youths
While systemic change is urgent, there are steps individuals and communities can take to reduce risk:
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Know your routes. Avoid roads known for ambushes, travel during daylight where possible, and use safer/trusted transport providers.
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Travel in groups. There’s safety in numbers—sharing travel plans, moving together, using community networks to alert others.
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Stay informed & connected. Follow credible local news, use social media or WhatsApp groups for local alerts; let family know where you’ll be and when you expect to return.
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Avoid flaunting wealth. Expensive phones, jewellery, or large cash in hand can make you a target.
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Be cautious at checkpoints. Know official check points and police posts; ask for credentials before engaging if unsure.
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Have emergency contacts & plans. Know who to call: police, community leaders, NGOs. Keep important numbers accessible.
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Use tech wisely. Location sharing with trusted people, using GPS, avoiding untrusted apps that expose your location.
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Support resilience in your community. Participate in or help organize local watch groups, contribute to or support awareness campaigns.
🧭 What Needs to Be Done (Long-Term Solutions)
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Strengthen rural policing & presence. Many kidnappings happen in poorly policed rural areas; more boots on the ground, local security architecture needed.
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Improve intelligence infrastructure. Early warning systems, better inter-state cooperation, improved communication between security agencies and locals.
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Accountability and rule of law. Ensuring perpetrators are caught, prosecuted transparently. Address corruption that lets kidnappers act with impunity.
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Socio-economic empowerment. Unemployment, poverty, and lack of alternatives feed into crime. Youth programmes, livelihoods, education matter.
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Trauma support & reintegration. For victims and families: psychological services, legal help, social support.
👥 Voices from Twitter / Youth Discourse
Some of the most powerful conversations are happening online:
“The scourge of kidnapping is underreported… It is a full-time business for too many people.”
“Who wants to invest in farm in my state when risk of being kidnapped is real?” (paraphrased from many threads)
These reflect the tension between youth hopes (for safe livelihoods, safe homes) and the reality of living with fear.
🔍 Conclusion
For many youths in Nigeria, everyday life in 2025 is lived in the shadow of insecurity. Kidnappings, violence, and instability are not distant headlines—they are part of decisions about where to live, what job to take, how to move, and even whether to stay.
While solutions are not easy, combining individual safety practices with community action and pushing for systemic reform offers a path forward. The voices of youth—those most affected—must be central to shaping those solutions.