Nigeria's Turbulence: Kidnapping Gangs and Jihadist Threats

Fri Dec 05 2025 15:50:56 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

An in-depth look into the multitude of security challenges Nigeria faces, including kidnapping gangs, jihadist groups, and ongoing farmer-herder conflicts.

Nigeria is confronted with a complex web of security issues. Mass abductions by criminal gangs, dubbed 'bandits', are rampant in the northwest. In the northeast, Boko Haram continues its violent insurgency, while clashes between farmers and herders exacerbate tensions across the country. This report analyzes the different armed groups, their motivations, and the impact on Nigerian society, as well as the government's struggle to maintain order amid these crises.

Nigeria is currently grappling with a spate of mass abductions. But the vast country - larger than France and Germany combined - also faces many other security challenges.

Recent attempts by US President Donald Trump and his supporters to frame the insecurity purely as the persecution of Christians overlooks the complexity of Africa's most populous nation.

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With over 250 ethnic groups, Nigeria is roughly divided into a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south, with conflicts evident across the nation.

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In the north-west, criminal gangs—known locally as 'bandits'—are notorious for kidnappings for ransom, while the north-east remains turbulent due to the actions of Boko Haram, an infamous Islamist group that gained international attention for the abduction of schoolgirls in 2014.

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This report details the primary armed factions affecting Nigeria, including bandits, Boko Haram, and splinter groups like Iswap and Ansaru, as well as ongoing land disputes leading to conflict between farmers and herders. The security forces, comprising around 400,000 army personnel and 370,000 police officers, are stretched thin as they combat these pervasive threats.

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Each group's unique motivations—ranging from banditry rooted in economic disadvantage to jihadism fueled by ideological beliefs—represent a complex threat landscape that continues to evolve, exacerbating instability and posing significant challenges to peace in Nigeria.