Terrorism Exposed! FG Names The Biggest Pipeline Feeding Insecurity Nationwide

The alarm was raised on Wednesday in Abuja by the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, at a stakeholders’ workshop of the Multi-Agency Kidnap Fusion Cell.

Laka explained that ransom payments have strengthened terror organisations, enabling them to purchase arms, fund operations, and in some cases, exert territorial influence.

He said, “Nigeria continues to face a wide range of security challenges — terrorism, banditry, separatist attacks, and farmers-herders’ clashes. A common thread among these threats is the widespread use of kidnapping. What began as an opportunistic crime has now become a sustained and destabilising business that supports logistics, fuels terror, and sometimes allows these groups to control territory.”

According to him, the rise in kidnapping prompted renewed collaboration between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, leading to the establishment of the Multi-Agency Kidnap Fusion Cell.

Commissioned by the National Security Adviser on December 19, 2024, the Cell coordinates nationwide counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping operations and supports Nigeria’s goal of becoming a regional counterterrorism hub in West Africa and the Sahel.

Laka noted that since its launch, the Cell has effectively united the Armed Forces, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement to prevent abductions and secure the release of victims.

He added that intelligence generated by the Cell has led to the disruption of kidnapping syndicates and the rescue of hostages in several parts of the country.

To improve coordination between federal and state security agencies, Laka said the NCTC expanded its programme in July 2025 to include Anti-Kidnap Commanders of the Nigeria Police Force and Department of State Services from all 36 states and the FCT.

He, however, emphasised the need for broader stakeholder engagement, urging the inclusion of media organisations, telecom operators, and social media companies in the anti-kidnap framework.

Laka appealed to participants to recommend practical steps to strengthen national efforts in rescuing victims, dismantling kidnap networks, and protecting communities, while maintaining close collaboration with the Fusion Cell.

UK Reaffirms Support

The Acting British High Commissioner, Gill Lever, commended the momentum of the Kidnap Fusion Cell and reiterated the UK’s commitment to aiding Nigeria in its counterterrorism and anti-kidnapping drive.

Head of the UK’s National Crime Agency, Chris Gibson, also underscored the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation, noting that combating kidnapping is a collective responsibility of all Nigerians.