Nigeria Records 279 Kidnappings in May 2026 Report

A report from Nextier revealed that in May 2026, no fewer than 279 individuals were kidnapped across Nigeria, reflecting a 19.7% increase compared to the same month in 2025. The report also indicated that the country experienced 156 violent incidents, resulting in 842 deaths, marking a 51.5% rise in casualties.

This data has raised significant concerns regarding Nigeria's peacebuilding efforts, which have not yielded measurable results despite substantial investments from the government and development partners. Jamilu Musa and Dr. Chukwuma Okoli, leading researchers at Nextier and lecturers at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, warned that weak impact assessment frameworks undermine the effectiveness of interventions.

They noted that measuring peacebuilding outcomes is challenging due to various obstacles, including rapid changes in conflict realities and difficulties in quantifying intangible outcomes such as trust and social cohesion. The report concluded that without effective measures, the question remains whether peacebuilding interventions can help communities become safer and more resilient amid Nigeria's ongoing security challenges.