28 July 2026 · Southern Ijaw
Kidnapping in Bayelsa
OpenWatch has recorded 113 reported kidnapping incidents in Bayelsa State, 1 of them in the last 12 months. That is 19% of every incident recorded in the state, and ranks it 26 of 37 among the states where kidnapping is reported often enough to profile.
Incidents · 12 mo
1
Fatalities · 12 mo
0
Incidents · all-time
113
Fatalities · all-time
29
Latest reported kidnapping in Bayelsa
1 August 2025 · Ogbia
The corpse of a missing real estate dealer was recovered from a forest in Bayelsa State after he was abducted and shot by unknown assailants. Police investigations revealed a struggle occurred before his body was found.
21 June 2025 · Yenagoa
Gunmen abducted a sitting Bayelsa State High Court judge at gunpoint outside an eatery in Yenagoa, firing shots that missed him before forcing him into an unmarked vehicle.
29 April 2025 · Southern Ijaw
Suspected pirates attacked a passenger boat carrying market women from Yenagoa to Southern Ijaw LGA along the Lobia/Foropa waterways in Bayelsa State, robbing about twelve passengers of their valuables and abducting four women into the bush.
7 March 2025 · Ogbia
Gunmen abducted a Special Adviser to the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission while he was traveling by boat to Ayakoro community in Bayelsa State. The kidnappers attempted to escape but their boat engine stalled, allowing locals to witness the incident.
10 December 2023 · Ogbia
An Italian construction worker was kidnapped in the Ogbia area of Bayelsa State and was held for a day before being freed. The kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of over $700,000.
12 November 2023 · Brass
INEC officials have been held hostage in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, prompting calls for their immediate release from security agencies.
11 November 2023 · Sagbama
An INEC official was abducted while waiting to board a boat at a jetty in Amassoma Community, Southern Ijaw LGA, Bayelsa State. A separate incident involved a boat capsizing, but no lives were lost.
16 June 2023 · Yenagoa
Gunmen abducted the Operations Manager of Sterling Bank in Bayelsa State while she was driving to her office. The incident occurred near a security checkpoint, and investigations are ongoing to locate the kidnappers.
13 June 2023 · Yenagoa
Police in Bayelsa State arrested 11 suspects involved in kidnapping and armed robbery. One victim, a 17-year-old girl, was rescued after being kidnapped on June 13, 2023, with a ransom demand of N2,000,000 made by the kidnappers.
Other threats in Bayelsa
About these figures
Counts cover incidents classified as kidnapping in Bayelsa State, drawn from OpenWatch’s incident record, excluding retracted reports and duplicates merged into an earlier report. Figures update hourly. Last recorded: 28 July 2026.
Reported numbers are a floor, not a census. Incidents in remote areas are routinely under-reported, and classification follows how an event was described in reporting, so a low count is not a guarantee of safety. See the full Bayelsa risk profile for every threat type, or the methodology for how incidents are collected and classified.
Track Bayelsa live on the incident map.