Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has asserted that Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis did not begin in the North, as widely believed, but in the oil-rich southern region.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Governor Sule described a recent meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum as “tense and emotionally charged,” with governors expressing deep frustration over the worsening insecurity nationwide.
According to him, kidnapping first gained prominence in the South—particularly in the Niger Delta—between 2003 and 2009, where oil workers were frequently abducted for ransom. Drawing on his extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, Sule recalled several incidents, including cases involving the engineering firm Tetra Tech, that forced some multinational companies to pull out of Nigeria.
He said the early wave of abductions was driven largely by financial motives tied to the region’s militancy and agitation for resource control. The situation, he noted, began to improve during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan following negotiations with Niger Delta militants.
Governor Sule cautioned against framing Nigeria’s insecurity along regional lines, emphasizing that kidnapping has now become a national problem. He admitted that northern leaders initially viewed the crisis as a southern issue but warned that it has since “spread everywhere” and requires a united response.
