logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2024
14m 3s

The bandit kidnap crisis in Nigeria

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Nigeria is struggling with a kidnapping epidemic. Every year hundreds of people are abducted and held for ransom. The kidnap crisis hit the headlines ten years ago when the Chibok school girls were snatched by Boko Haram militants - but now, arguably, the problem has got worse. We speak to Chimezie Ucheagbo, a journalist with BBC Igbo, about how it’s affecting every day life for Nigerians. Plus, we hear from a family who had to deal with the problem first hand.

Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: William Lee Adams Producers: Emily Horler and Alex Rhodes Editors: Verity Wilde and Simon Peeks

Up next
Today
Dead white people’s clothes: How Ghana is dealing with its textile waste crisis
Ghana has been described as the fashion industry’s dumping ground. Around 15 million second-hand garments arrive every week, making Ghana the world’s largest importer of used clothing. Many of the garments are re-sold and re-purposed at Kantamanto Market in the capital Accra. But ... Show More
14m 7s
Aug 22
ID please! Why the UK is checking your age online
In the UK, if you want to watch pornography or see content on sites like X, Reddit and Discord that is deemed only suitable for people over 18 years old, you now need to provide your identification to prove you are old enough to access this material. The UK government says its On ... Show More
11m 33s
Aug 21
Why fake weddings are India’s latest party trend
The big fat 'fake' Indian wedding is social media’s latest party trend. Fake wedding parties have taken the world and social media by storm with people getting together to enjoy all the fun of a wedding party: the food, Bollywood music, dancing and glamorous outfits. But there ar ... Show More
10m 5s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2021
Nigeria’s kidnapped children
Since December, gangs have seized more than a thousand students and members of staff from schools in armed raids across northern Nigeria. The wave of abductions is having devastating consequences for the country, which already has the highest number of children out of education a ... Show More
26m 28s
Oct 2023
What’s life like when you live under the constant fear of Boko Haram attacks?
Over the past 14 years Boko Haram has wreaked havoc in Nigeria and neighbouring countries. The group gained international notoriety with the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria in 2014 which sparked the ‘Bring Back Our Girls campaign’. Their attacks also spread to ... Show More
18m 37s
Jul 2021
Is Nigeria becoming impossible to govern?
The kidnapping of at least 140 schoolchildren in the north-west of Nigeria is the latest crime to shake a country already struggling to contain militants in the north and separatists in the south. Add to this young protesters on the streets amid rising food prices and crime and t ... Show More
23m 41s
Apr 2024
What is it like to be the victim of a kidnapping in Nigeria?
This month marks ten years since the kidnapping of the Chibok girls in north eastern Nigeria when militants abducted nearly 300 girls. Most of the girls have either been freed or escaped but dozens remain unaccounted. In the years since, kidnapping for ransom - for profit- by cri ... Show More
24m 15s
Feb 2023
Nigeria at a turning point
At a time when global democracy is under pressure, this month’s elections in Nigeria could prove critical. Africa’s largest economy is at a turning point, with the population growing and getting younger, and the results there could have a major impact globally. One of Nigeria’s b ... Show More
55 m
May 2021
Will Nigerians ever stop paying ransoms?
The number of kidnappings is on the rise in Nigeria – but senators want to put a stop to it by punishing people paying ransoms to release their loved ones. Under a new draft bill, Nigerians could face up to 15 years in prison if they’re caught handing over the money. But will thi ... Show More
12m 41s
Dec 2023
Why has Nigeria failed to deal with recurrent violence?
Hundreds of people have been killed and injured in attacks by armed groups in Plateau State in Nigeria. What are the root causes of this violence? And what does it mean for Nigeria's future? Join host Laura Kyle. Guests: Isa Sanusi - Nigeria Country Director at Amnesty Internatio ... Show More
24m 41s
Mar 2022
What’s behind Nigeria’s prison breaks?
Nigeria is facing an epidemic: Thousands of people have escaped from Nigerian correctional facilities, also known as prisons, jails, or custodial centers, since 2010. And the problem only seems to be growing. So what's behind the spate of prison breaks? And what do those jailbrea ... Show More
16m 21s
Mar 2023
The trauma of Ukraine's children
Grief, trauma and poverty have become the norm for millions of Ukrainian children after a year of war. James Elder of Unicef has just returned from Lviv and says that the situation is going from bad to worse. And BBC Newsround’s Ricky Boleto tells us about the courage of Ukrainia ... Show More
30m 45s