The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to urgently amend the Counter-Terrorism Act to categorise kidnapping as terrorism, warning that abductions have become one of the gravest threats to national security and economic stability.
Citing figures from a new report by SBM Intelligence, the group said at least 257 people were kidnapped in the South-East between July 2024 and June 2025 — 5.6 per cent of the nationwide total of 4,722 cases. Enugu recorded the highest number with 123 victims, followed by Anambra (63), Imo (42), Abia (27) and Ebonyi (2).
Kidnappers in the region demanded more than ₦1 billion in ransom but collected ₦157.55 million, roughly 6.1 per cent of the ₦2.56 billion secured nationwide, according to SBM’s report titled Locust Business – The Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry: A 2025 Update.
“The government must act now,” said HURIWA’s national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement. “We hope it is not waiting for a governor or prominent legislator to be abducted before decisive measures are taken.”
The association criticised political leaders for failing to prioritise the crisis, accusing security agencies of allocating disproportionate resources to the protection of public office holders while ordinary citizens are left vulnerable.
HURIWA also condemned the abduction of Christian clerics, pointing to the recent kidnapping of Rev. Fr. Wilfred Ezemba in Kogi State, and highlighted findings by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) that 19,100 churches have been destroyed by terrorists over the past 16 years.
“There is a clear nexus between terrorism and kidnappings,” the group said, calling for kidnappers to face capital punishment and for governors to sign execution warrants without delay.
HURIWA further criticised South-East leaders, particularly Imo State Governor and APC Governors’ Forum chairman Hope Uzodinma, accusing him of spending too much time on ceremonial appearances in Abuja while insecurity worsens in his state and across the region.
The group urged South-East governors, civil society, and religious and traditional leaders to convene an emergency security summit, warning that continued inaction would be “tantamount to complicity by silence.”
