Families, if they sleep at all, are sleeping with one eye open.

Targeting homes in the middle of the night, armed kidnappers have started taking victims away and demanding millions of naira in ransom from already impoverished households.

They arrived shortly after midnight. broke the door. took my brother. “Just like that,” one trembling resident remarked. “They called us the following morning and threatened to never see him again unless we brought ₦10 million.”

These occurrences are not unique. Numerous kidnappings have been reported in recent days, sending entire villages into a state of terror. Fearing they could be the next, some residents have completely left their homes.

Families struggling to keep up with rising inflation and financial difficulties would find the ransom demands, which vary from ₦5 million to ₦20 million, unthinkable.

Locals claim that their sense of security has disappeared and that assistance feels far away, despite police claims that investigations are ongoing and search efforts are underway.

Politics and poverty are no longer relevant. “All we want is to live fearlessly,” a local community leader stated.

Kidnapping for ransom has spread like wildfire throughout Nigeria as a result of criminals taking advantage of lax security measures and overworked law enforcement.

The people of Lafia currently live in silent fear, keeping an eye on the time, listening for footsteps, and praying that their doors won’t be kicked in next.