By Kabeer Bello

A disturbing video circulating on social media has brought renewed attention to Nigeria’s worsening kidnapping crisis, as a young man identified as John Arum Azi is seen pleading for help after being abducted along the Kaduna route. According to him, he was travelling to Kaduna when he was kidnapped alongside six other individuals, bringing the total number of victims to seven.

The video, said to have been posted on Facebook by one of his course mates, was allegedly shared using Azi’s own phone after the kidnappers forced him to record a message to his family and the public. In the footage, he appears visibly distressed as he appeals for financial assistance to secure his release.

The abductors initially demanded a ransom of N30 million, threatening to kill him when he told them he could not afford the payment.

There is persistent insecurity across parts of northern Nigeria, particularly in the North-West region, where kidnapping for ransom has become widespread.

States such as Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Niger, and Kogi states have continued to record frequent abductions, with criminal groups targeting travellers, rural communities, and students.

Despite repeated assurances from security agencies that efforts are being intensified to tackle the menace, incidents like this continue to raise concerns among citizens over safety on major highways.

Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on Azi’s abduction at the time of filing this report even as the victim remains in his abductors’ den. Daily Post