Dr. Jonathan Asake, former president of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), has raised concerns over the worsening security situation in Nigeria, saying kidnapping and terrorist attacks have continued to spread across several parts of the country.
Speaking in an interview published by The Sun Nigeria on Saturday, July 18, 2026, Asake said the abduction of teachers and pupils in Oyo State attracted widespread public attention, media coverage and swift intervention from security agencies because of the level of awareness generated around the incident.ѕєє тнє ν!∂єσ нєяє
He noted that the response to the Oyo case showed the impact of public pressure and advocacy in drawing attention to security challenges.
“We’re only lucky that this thing happened in Oyo State, a place that is more enlightened, and there are activists who made the whole world knew about it, and something was done. But this one that we’re talking about is just one case,” he said.
Asake, however, lamented that many communities in Kaduna State and other northern states have continued to experience similar attacks without receiving the same level of attention.
He cited the April 20 abduction of 11 villagers in Awon community, Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where kidnappers reportedly demanded N300 million ransom and 25 motorcycles from the victims’ families.
He also mentioned the situation in Ariko village, where residents were allegedly confronted with a demand of N1 billion ransom and 35 motorcycles by abductors, despite the community’s inability to meet such huge demands.
According to him, these incidents reflect the difficult realities faced by many rural communities that live under constant threat from criminal groups.
The former SOKAPU president added that similar cases have been recorded in Kogi, Kwara, Niger and Borno states, including the prolonged captivity of students abducted in Lassa, Borno State.
He expressed concern that many victims and affected communities continue to suffer in silence because their experiences do not attract enough national attention.
Asake warned that insecurity should not be treated as isolated incidents affecting only certain regions, stressing that every Nigerian community deserves protection.
