A nation on the edge: Nigerians’ views on kidnapping

Although much research has examined armed banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria, they focus primarily on the causes of these forms of insecurity and often rely on secondary sources or single local case studies. As a result, there is a notable lack of nationally representative evidence on how Nigerians perceive kidnapping. Using large-N Afrobarometer survey data collected in Nigeria in 2024, this study provides a descriptive analysis of public attitudes toward kidnapping and trust in security providers. The findings show that kidnapping is Nigerians’ leading security concern, with nearly one in three people reporting that they personally know someone who has been kidnapped in the past five years. The analysis further reveals limited trust in the police: when faced with security threats, Nigerians are most likely to turn to community leaders or traditional authorities, followed by neighborhood vigilante groups, with the police ranking third. These results highlight the central role of public trust in shaping civilian responses to kidnapping and armed banditry. They also suggest that state efforts to address insecurity in Nigeria depend not only on expanding security capacity but on restoring confidence in formal security institutions, especially the police.