3 August 2026
Kidnapping in Yobe
OpenWatch has recorded 32 reported kidnapping incidents in Yobe State, 7 of them in the last 12 months. That is 7% of every incident recorded in the state, and ranks it 36 of 37 among the states where kidnapping is reported often enough to profile.
Incidents · 12 mo
7
Fatalities · 12 mo
0
Incidents · all-time
32
Fatalities · all-time
2
Latest reported kidnapping in Yobe
27 July 2026
Gunmen abducted a 10-year-old boy in Yobe State and demanded ransom for his release. The Nigerian Army and Defence Headquarters were tagged in the report.
7 July 2026 · Gujba
Unknown armed men abducted a resident of Kolmamaji Village in Gujba LGA, Yobe State on 7 July 2026, along with his motorcycle. The victim escaped from the kidnappers' hideout on 10 July and provided intelligence that led to the arrest of two suspects on 11 July, with 26 stolen goats also recovered during the operation.
28 June 2026 · Fika
Unidentified gunmen attacked Didim Village in Fika LGA, Yobe State, and abducted four young females aged 15–17. Police operatives and local vigilantes launched a rescue mission, successfully freeing all four victims unhurt; they were taken to a health centre before being reunited with their families.
12 May 2026 · Konduga
On May 12, 2026, Nigerian Army troops rescued six women and children who had been abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists during an attack on their community on March 3, 2026. The operation took place near Amuda in the Mandara Mountains.
4 May 2026 · Madagali
Troops rescued two kidnapped children during operations in Ngamdu, Yobe State, and arrested several suspects linked to terrorism and drug peddling. Ongoing efforts are being made to rescue additional victims still in captivity.
12 March 2026
Troops arrested a suspected kidnapper and recovered an AK-47 rifle during a cordon-and-search operation in Sidiri Ngabarawa, Yobe State. The operation was part of ongoing security measures to dismantle criminal networks in the North-East.
23 May 2025 · Fika
Yobe State Police rescued a 22-year-old woman abducted by armed men from her father's residence in Tashan Randa village, Fika LGA, on May 6, 2025, arresting two suspects and dismantling the kidnappers' den.
2 March 2025
Suspected Boko Haram terrorists abducted a professor and other travellers near Kamuya village along the Damaturu-Biu road in Yobe State. Reports indicate that all female passengers were freed except for the male victims.
25 December 2024 · Gujba
Kidnappers are reportedly extorting innocent citizens in Yobe State, prompting the Governor to call for increased military surveillance in the region. The Governor highlighted the need to address new security threats as insurgency declines.
Other threats in Yobe
About these figures
Counts cover incidents classified as kidnapping in Yobe State, drawn from OpenWatch’s incident record, excluding retracted reports and duplicates merged into an earlier report. Figures update hourly. Last recorded: 3 August 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 Yobe risk profile for every threat type, or the methodology for how incidents are collected and classified.
Track Yobe live on the incident map.