Lawyer Aloy Ejimakor has expressed delight that the Southeast has once again recorded the lowest number of kidnapping cases of any geopolitical zone in Nigeria, continuing a pattern seen across several recent months.
According to NHRC data compiled by StatiSense, the Southeast recorded just one kidnapping case in September 2026. In August it recorded four, and in May it recorded only three - the lowest figure of any zone that month.
By contrast, the North Central and North West zones together accounted for 195 of the 210 cases recorded nationwide in September (92.9 per cent).
According to Ejimakor, these consistently low numbers stand in sharp contrast to the scale of military and other security deployments maintained across the Southeast.
"Large numbers of troops, police, and other security assets remain stationed in the zone, with frequent operations, checkpoints, and public messaging that continues to portray the Eastern Security Network (ESN) as a primary national security threat.
"The data suggests that the actual distribution of kidnapping risk does not match the level of security emphasis or the narrative focused on the Southeast.
"While there are isolated incidents like the recent NYSC kidnapping, the overwhelming majority of cases continue to be concentrated in the North Central and North West zones," he shared on X.
Ejimakor said a data-driven assessment would allocate resources and attention in proportion to where the highest volumes of kidnapping are occurring, rather than sustaining a disproportionate focus on a zone that has repeatedly returned the lowest figures.
He noted that the Southeast’s low kidnapping numbers over successive months deserve recognition, adding that they also invite a clearer public distinction between anti-Southeast rhetoric and propaganda, and the recorded outcomes that speak otherwise.
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