How kidnappings are hitting Nigeria’s Borno families hard

Across Borno, abductions are leaving families with depleted savings, missing loved ones and disrupted education. Save Share Maiduguri, Nigeria –When Musa Abdullahi Wakawa learned that his wife and seven-year-old son had been abducted, disbelief quickly gave way to fear. Then came the question confronting many families caught in Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis: How could he raise the ransom demanded for their release? For days, Musa searched for a way to bring his family home, confronting the financial burden imposed by the kidnappers. Across northeastern Nigeria, families sell livestock, seek loans, dispose of property and exhaust savings in the hope of securing the release of loved ones. In Borno State, kidnapping has become more than a security threat. Families are losing money, living with the trauma of abduction and, in some communities, keeping their children away from school. Laraba Dauda, 45, still remembers the last conversation she had with her younger sister. Her sister was abducted on January 13, 2026, along the Biu–Buratai road, according to Laraba. Shortly after the abduction, the phone rang. Her sister was calling from somewhere in the bush. “Aunty, unknown people have kidnapped us and taken us somewhere in the bush. We don’t know where they are taking us. At this moment, Aunty, please just help me with your prayers,” Laraba recalled her sister saying. The call ended in tears. Her sister has not returned home. Months later, Laraba and her family still do not know where she is being held or whether she is safe. Laraba is calling on the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to rescue those still in captivity. “We need the government to come to our aid and help rescue our relatives who have spent more than six months in captivity,” she said. For Anjikwi Hena, his son’s disappearance came just as the family was looking towards a better future. His son was abducted on March 30, 2026, according to Hena. He had completed his education and was preparing to travel to Maiduguri in search of work. His father encouraged him and prayed for his success. Instead, the young man disappeared into captivity. Hena said their close relationship has made the uncertainty especially painful. The kidnapping crisis is also threatening education in communities already weakened by years of rebellion....