Kidnapping Started In Southern Nigeria, Not The North – Governor Sule

Governor Sule Sets the Record Straight, Insists Kidnapping Originated in Southern Nigeria, Not the North

Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has stated that kidnapping, now a national crisis, did not originate in northern Nigeria as commonly believed, but began in the country’s oil-producing southern region.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Sule described a recent governors’ meeting as tense and emotionally charged due to frustrations over rising insecurity.

He noted that during the meeting, governors were deeply concerned about the security situation, raising voices and warning each other about perceived inaction. Sule emphasized that kidnapping initially affected the South, particularly oil workers in the Niger Delta, between 2003 and 2009. Drawing from his experience in the oil and gas sector, he recalled frequent abductions, including incidents involving the firm Tetra Tech, which led some companies to withdraw from Nigeria.

Sule explained that the early kidnappings were largely financially motivated, targeting oil workers for ransom. He said the situation began to ease during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration following negotiations addressing resource control and militancy.

The governor warned against framing insecurity along regional lines, urging Nigerians to unite against kidnapping. He stressed that while the North initially viewed the problem as irrelevant, the phenomenon has now spread nationwide and requires collective action. Sule expressed optimism that the crisis will eventually be brought under control.