Kidnappings in Borno force families to sell assets and halt schooling

In Borno State, families such as those of Musa Abdullahi Wakawa, whose wife and seven-year-old son were seized, and Laraba Dauda, whose sister vanished after a phone call from the bush, are forced to liquidate livestock, borrow money or sell property to raise ransom. The crisis has also crippled education: Askira-Uba’s primary schools dropped from 76 to 56 after rebel attacks in May, and a June assault on a secondary school in Lassa left 36 students and a teacher still held captive.

Amnesty International Nigeria estimates more than 1,100 people were abducted across Nigeria from January to April 2026, noting that victims often endure torture, starvation and sexual violence while families bear extreme financial pressure. Borno’s commissioner for information and internal security, Usman Tar, says the state is using a mix of kinetic and non-kinetic tactics, including drones and community vigilantes, to confront the kidnappers. Nevertheless, the ongoing ransom economy continues to fuel armed groups and keep communities in a cycle of poverty and fear.