…Identifies Ungoverned Forests As Safe Havens For Armed Groups
…Advocates State Police, Stronger Intelligence Coordination
Daud Olatunji
Nigeria is sliding into what experts have described as a “ransom-driven economy,” following revelations that the country recorded about 2.2 million kidnapping incidents within one year, with an estimated ₦2.2 trillion reportedly paid as ransom.
A security expert and Acting Vice-Chancellor of Achievers University, Owo, Prof. Oyesoji Aremu, raised the alarm while delivering a public lecture organised by the Social Sciences Students’ Association at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State.
Aremu, who cited data attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics and reported in December 2024, warned that kidnapping has evolved beyond isolated criminal acts into a structured enterprise run by bandits, insurgents and organised syndicates across the country.
He said the scale of abductions and ransom payments signals the emergence of a dangerous parallel economy with severe consequences for national development, family stability and investor confidence.
According to him, Nigeria’s worsening security situation is reflected in its global rankings, including 142 out of 143 on the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, 148 out of 163 on the Global Peace Index, and fifth on the Global Terrorism Index, indicators he said point to a steady decline in safety and governance.
The don traced the roots of the crisis to long-standing conflicts such as the Nigerian Civil War, Maitatsine uprisings, Niger Delta militancy and the Boko Haram insurgency, arguing that failure to address early warning signs allowed criminal networks to expand.
He further noted that the fragmentation of extremist groups, including ISWAP, alongside the rise of banditry and illegal mining activities, has complicated counter-insurgency efforts and widened insecurity across several regions.
Aremu also identified large ungoverned forests—including Sambisa, Alagarno, Kamuku, Kuyambana, Kuduru and Old Oyo National Park—as major operational bases for armed groups, describing them as clear evidence of weak state presence in remote areas.
He expressed concern over repeated attacks on schools across the country, citing incidents in Chibok, Dapchi, Kagara and Greenfield, as well as recent threats in parts of Oyo State, which he said exposed gaps in intelligence gathering and preventive security measures.
The professor blamed part of the crisis on poor coordination among security agencies, warning that inter-agency rivalry and lack of synergy have weakened response capacity and emboldened criminal elements.
To address the worsening situation, Aremu called for the establishment of state police, stronger community-based intelligence systems, enhanced inter-agency collaboration, coordinated nationwide surveillance and the deployment of forest guards to reclaim ungoverned spaces.
In their separate remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Adebisi Daramola, described the lecture as timely, noting that insecurity remains a major threat to Nigeria’s development.
Similarly, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Adesuyi Adebukola, called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders to confront the country’s deepening security challenges.
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