Breaking Nigeria's Kidnap Chain

Breaking Nigeria’s Kidnap Chain - A Call for Urgent Action

The tragic death of Venerable Edwin Achi, the Priest-in-Charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church in Ungwan Maijero, Kaduna, who was abducted alongside his wife and daughter and later died in captivity, is yet another painful reminder of the deepening crisis of insecurity in Nigeria. 

Edwin's passing is not just a personal loss to his family and the Diocese of Kaduna, but a symbol of the collective trauma inflicted on communities across the nation. 

The brazenness of kidnappers, who demanded an outrageous ₦600 million ransom, underscores the collapse of deterrence and the normalization of criminal enterprise in many parts of the country.

Nigeria’s kidnapping epidemic has metastasized into a national emergency. Once sporadic, it has now become systemic, targeting clergy, students, travelers, and ordinary citizens. 

The death of Reverend Achi highlights the moral and spiritual wound inflicted on society, where even men of God, symbols of peace and hope—are not spared. 

The question, therefore, is not whether Nigeria can continue this way, but how it must urgently chart a way out.

The first path forward lies in restoring state capacity and credibility in law enforcement. 

Kidnapping thrives because perpetrators operate with impunity. Intelligence gathering, community policing, and rapid response units must be strengthened, not just in urban centers but in rural communities like Nissi, where Achi was abducted. 

Security agencies must be adequately funded, trained, and depoliticized to focus on dismantling kidnap networks rather than reacting after tragedies occur.

Secondly, Nigeria must confront the economic roots of insecurity. The proliferation of kidnappings is tied to unemployment, poverty, and the collapse of rural economies. 

Criminal gangs exploit desperation, turning ransom into a parallel economy. Without addressing youth unemployment and providing viable livelihoods, the cycle will persist. Investment in agriculture, vocational training, and local industries is not charity, it is a security strategy.

Thirdly, there must be judicial and legislative reform. Kidnapping laws exist, but enforcement is weak. 

Swift prosecution and severe penalties for kidnappers and their collaborators, including financiers and informants, are essential. 

Communities must also be empowered legally to defend themselves through structured vigilante groups integrated with formal security systems, rather than ad hoc militias that risk worsening violence.

Finally, the moral voice of society must not be silenced. The church, civil society, and traditional institutions must continue to speak against the normalization of ransom payments and the erosion of communal solidarity. 

Reverend Achi’s death should galvanize Nigerians to demand accountability from leaders who have allowed insecurity to fester unchecked.

The way out of Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis is neither simple nor immediate, but it is possible. It requires a multi-pronged approach: stronger security, economic revival, judicial firmness, and moral courage. 

The death of Reverend Achi must not be another statistic, it should be the turning point that forces Nigeria to reclaim its humanity from the grip of banditry. 

If the nation fails to act decisively, the chain of kidnappings will continue to bind its future in fear and despair.