Kidnapping Crisis in Abuja: Citizens Trapped Between Fear and Survival

By Sam Agogo

The Federal Capital Territory, once regarded as the nation’s safest seat of power, is now gripped by a terrifying wave of kidnappings that has left citizens living in fear. What began as ransom-driven abductions has spiraled into a darker, more chilling reality: kidnappings for organ harvesting.

The accounts of survivors paint a picture of horror that is difficult to comprehend. A young woman, abducted only days ago, is now receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital after narrowly escaping death. She had set out to complete a financial transaction, boarding what seemed like an ordinary vehicle. Inside were two women, but moments later a strange perfume was sprayed. The substance rendered her unconscious, along with the other passengers, who were later revealed to be accomplices of the kidnappers.

When she regained consciousness, she found herself deep in the bush, surrounded by other captives. Two women were killed in her presence, their bodies discarded without mercy. Her turn was next. The kidnappers told her that her “spirit was strong” and that she would be executed after their next operation. But fate intervened in an unexpected way. One of the abductors picked up her bag, saw her name, and remembered her mother from his school days. He recalled her kindness and urged the young woman to flee, warning her never to look back.

Before she escaped, one of the female accomplices chillingly revealed that their group was not interested in ransom money. They were strictly out to harvest organs from their victims. That revelation confirmed the darkest fears of residents: that human lives were being traded for profit in a gruesome underground market.

She ran from 3 a.m. in the morning, stumbling through forests and rough terrain, terrified and exhausted. Hours passed like days. By the time she reached the outskirts of Keffi around 7 p.m., she collapsed from weakness and fainted. Strangers found her unconscious and rushed her to safety, eventually bringing her back to Abuja where she is now receiving medical care.

Her ordeal mirrors another case from years past, when a man was abducted, stripped of all his savings, and mysteriously released. He too described being drugged with a spray that left him unconscious. Both survivors believe that prayers — from men of God, family members, and well-wishers — played a decisive role in their escape. Relatives testify that prayer vigils and intercessions were ongoing during the ordeal, and many insist that divine intervention was the reason these victims survived when others did not.

The kidnappers’ method is chillingly consistent. Victims are incapacitated with chemical sprays, transported to remote hideouts, and subjected to either ransom demands or gruesome fates in organ trafficking operations. Survivors speak of being surrounded by death, of hearing cries that were silenced forever, and of living with the trauma of knowing that countless others may never return.

The fact that such crimes are happening in the nation’s capital has left citizens shaken. If the seat of power is unsafe, residents ask, what hope remains for the rest of the country? “This is happening right under the nose of our leaders. If security agencies have not caught them yet, only God knows how many people are dying or waiting to die,” one resident lamented.

The growing frequency of these crimes has sparked outrage and fear. Citizens are demanding urgent intervention from security agencies, insisting that kidnappers must be hunted down and prosecuted. Lawmakers are being called upon to enact tougher penalties, including life imprisonment, for those convicted of kidnapping and organ trafficking.

For now, residents remain trapped between fear and survival. Each day brings new stories of abduction, each night is filled with prayers for loved ones to return. Faith has become both shield and solace, as families cling to the belief that divine intervention can succeed where human protection has failed. But prayers alone cannot stop the crisis. Until decisive action is taken, the capital risks becoming a graveyard of broken lives, where survival depends not on security, but on miracles.

For comments, reflections, and further conversation, email samuelagogo4one@yahoo.com