28 July 2026 · New Karu
Kidnapping in Nasarawa
OpenWatch has recorded 208 reported kidnapping incidents in Nasarawa State, 26 of them in the last 12 months. That is 32% of every incident recorded in the state, and ranks it 14 of 37 among the states where kidnapping is reported often enough to profile.
Incidents · 12 mo
26
Fatalities · 12 mo
6
Incidents · all-time
208
Fatalities · all-time
141
Latest reported kidnapping in Nasarawa
26 July 2026 · Lafia
Three 100-level students of the Federal University of Lafia were kidnapped from their off-campus lodge in the Bukan Kwato area of Lafia at approximately 8:45 p.m. on Saturday. The Students' Union Government confirmed the incident and said it was engaging traditional authorities and university management; police had not yet issued an official statement at the time of reporting.
21 July 2026 · Akwanga
Nasarawa State Police operatives from the Andaha Division foiled a kidnap attempt along the Akwanga-Jos Road on the night of July 21, 2026, rescuing four victims unhurt after a gun duel forced the armed suspects to flee into the bush. Several provisions believed stolen from a nearby store were also recovered.
16 July 2026 · Lafia
The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Nasarawa State University, Keffi was kidnapped by armed men at midnight on Wednesday at Mile Uku, a boundary community between Lafia and Nasarawa Eggon LGAs. DSS operatives rescued him at approximately 3pm on Friday and arrested two suspects in connection with the abduction.
13 July 2026
Nigerian troops and police conducted a crackdown operation in Nasarawa State, arresting 42 suspected kidnappers. The operation was carried out jointly by the Nigerian Army and police forces.
7 July 2026 · Lafia
Armed kidnappers attacked a student lodge on the outskirts of the Federal University of Lafia campus on Tuesday night, abducting three students. Police deployed tactical teams and launched a search-and-rescue operation in the surrounding forest, successfully rescuing one victim while two remain in captivity.
4 July 2026
Suspected gunmen attacked a residential community bordering the FCT in Nasarawa State, abducting a woman and killing a retired Army officer during the raid.
1 July 2026
Nigerian Army troops foiled a kidnap attempt in Nasarawa State and rescued two victims. The operation was credited to the Nigerian military.
17 June 2026 · Nasarawa Eggon
Nasarawa police rescued seven kidnapped victims and arrested 35 suspects during anti-crime operations across the state. The operations targeted various flashpoints known for criminal activities.
12 May 2026
Two suspected kidnappers have been arrested in connection with the abduction of students from Nasarawa State University, who have since been safely released and reunited with their families.
Other threats in Nasarawa
About these figures
Counts cover incidents classified as kidnapping in Nasarawa 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 Nasarawa risk profile for every threat type, or the methodology for how incidents are collected and classified.
Track Nasarawa live on the incident map.