…for more than 60 days •Borno, Kwara, Kaduna, Zamfara hard hit •DHQ: 1, 754 captives regained freedom in six months •‘Hostages figure could top 7, 000 across seven states’ •Security experts blame poor intelligence coordination, weak political will •CSOs charge govt to dismantle kidnapping networks, create national hostage database By Nnamdi Ojiego Barely days after security forces secured the release of the 39 pupils and seven teachers abducted from Oriire, Oyo State, another school came under attack. On Tuesday, July 14, armed men stormed Government Secondary School, Olowa in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State while students were writing the National Examinations Council, NECO, examination They fled with two students, the school principal and a NECO ad hoc official. The incident sparked fears of yet another prolonged school kidnapping. However, before those fears could deepen, Kogi State government announced on Thursday that all the victims had been rescued safely and reunited with security agencies for debriefing and medical evaluation. The development brought relief to affected families and reinforced growing calls for intelligence-driven rescue operations. Yet, it also highlighted a painful reality. While the Oyo and Kogi victims have regained their freedom, hundreds of other Nigerians remain trapped in forests and kidnappers’ camps across the country, with some spending more than five months in captivity. An investigation by Sunday Vanguard, based on newspaper reports, community records and civil society documentation, shows that at least 529 Nigerians abducted in eight major kidnapping incidents are still believed to be in captivity. The victims include schoolchildren, worshippers, farmers, traditional leaders, villagers, passengers and security personnel whose release has not been officially announced despite sustained military operations across the country. The figure represents only documented unresolved cases between February and July 2026. It excludes isolated kidnappings, victims whose families deliberately avoided publicity while negotiating ransom payments, as well as numerous incidents that were never reported in the media. Security experts and civil society organisations, CSOs, believe the actual number of Nigerians still in captivity is considerably higher. DHQ: 1,764 rescued in six months The latest findings come against the backdrop of intensified military rescue operations. According to the Defence Headquarters, DHQ, troops rescued 1,764 kidnapped and abducted persons during operations conducted across various theatres between January and June this year. A monthly breakdown released by the military shows that 284 victims were rescued in January, 450 in February, 79 in March, 188 in April, 221 in May and 542 in June. The figures underscore the increasing tempo of military operations against terrorists, bandits and other criminal groups. Yet, they also reveal another disturbing trend. Even as security agencies rescued hundreds of hostages, new abductions continue to replenish the ranks of those held captive. The rescue of the Oriire schoolchildren and the swift operation that freed the four Kogi victims demonstrate that coordinated intelligence and rapid response can produce results. However, security analysts say those successes have not fundamentally weakened the kidnapping networks operating across many parts of the country. Barely hours after the Kogi school attack, terrorists intercepted three newly passed-out soldiers travelling from Zaria to Zamfara State and abducted them, reportedly demanding a ransom of N50 million. The incident served as another reminder that kidnapping is no longer limited to schoolchildren, commuters or rural communities. Increasingly, even members of the armed forces have become targets. Months of waiting Among the documented unresolved cases reviewed by Sunday Vanguard, the single largest involves 176 residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State. The villagers were abducted during a mass raid on the agrarian settlement earlier this year and have now spent more than five months in captivity, making them among the country’s longest-held kidnap victims. Community leaders say many affected families have exhausted their savings, sold livestock and abandoned farming while desperately searching for ways to secure the release of their loved ones. Kaduna State has also continued to record prolonged cases. More than 80 days after gunmen attacked worshippers during Easter celebrations in Ariko community, 37 Christians are still being held by their abductors, according to the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN. Another 11 residents
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