Abuja: The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) has called for stronger collaboration among security agencies, telecom operators, and the media to enhance Nigeria’s national response to the growing menace of kidnapping. Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, National Coordinator of NCTC, made the call in Abuja at the opening of a high-level stakeholder workshop of Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell (MAAKFC).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Laka stated that the workshop was part of deliberate efforts by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to deepen coordination, intelligence-sharing, and operational synergy in tackling kidnapping, which he described as a major enabler of terrorism, banditry, and organised crime. He emphasized that what was once an opportunistic crime has evolved into a persistent and destabilising enterprise, financing criminal and terrorist activities, enabling them to procure logistics, sustain violence, and, in some cases, exert territorial control.
Laka recalled that the multi-agency Kidnap Fusion Cell was established through UK-Nigeria security cooperation and commissioned on Dec. 19, 2024, to improve coordination among the armed forces, intelligence services, law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders. He noted that analysts from security agencies trained under the ROCSI programme have already generated actionable intelligence leading to the rescue of hostages and the dismantling of kidnap syndicates across the country.
He further highlighted that in July 2025, the centre extended its coordination framework to the states by training anti-kidnap commanders of the Nigeria Police and DSS from all 36 states and the FCT. Despite progress, operational gaps remain, particularly the need to integrate telecom operators, media organisations, and social media platforms into the national kidnap-response framework.
The acting British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Lever, remarked that the success of the Kidnap Fusion Cell was a strong indicator of Nigeria’s progress in building a coordinated national approach to kidnapping. She pointed out that the initiative, rooted in the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership Dialogue, was designed as a Nigeria-owned solution supported by international experience. Lever also cited a recent kidnap incident involving 18 persons on Calabar-Oron waterways, including a UK-Nigerian dual national, noting the cell’s professional and effective coordination in the response.
The Head of the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) in Nigeria, Mr. Chris Gibson, noted that collaboration had been central to the progress recorded so far. He said the cell had demonstrated its value by delivering timely intelligence, improving data collection, and creating a central repository of kidnap statistics that helps inform national security decisions. Gibson urged telecom operators and other stakeholders to provide the Fusion Cell with the tools and support needed for faster and safer rescue operations, emphasizing that it is a collective responsibility, and everybody must contribute to defeating kidnapping in Nigeria.
Gibson also commended Nigerian experts for developing the cell’s data-management system and communications tools, underscoring that the initiative had proven Nigeria’s capacity to drive its own solutions.