By Sar Terver
Officer Oliver Orasuur’s face is now etched in fear across social media.
The immigration officer from Kwande Local Government Area, Benue State, appears in a distressing video made by kidnappers who claim to have abducted him along with another officer, David Shiaondo Iorwuese, on the Katsina-Ala–Ukum Road.
The captors brandish formidable firearms, fire shots into the air, and use their weapons to intimidate their hostages. Demanding a ransom of ₦10 million, they deploy fear and visibility to pressure both the government and the family to act.
This episode comes amid a worsening kidnapping crisis in Benue and the broader Middle Belt.
In recent months, cases of abduction have gone beyond private terror to become public spectacles. The recurring use of viral videos—showing victims pleading, sometimes clasping human skulls or forced mid-scream—to push ransom demands has struck a chord of outrage and alarm.
Notably, the abduction of seminarians from Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary in Edo State showed the growing use of social media as a weapon of terror, with victims filmed holding what appeared to be a human skull while begging for ransom.
What emerges from these incidents is not just a pattern of kidnappings but a communication strategy. Kidnappers are using video footage to terrorize, humiliate, and force negotiations.
The public visibility adds pressure but also raises critical questions about the effectiveness of law enforcement, the readiness of security agencies to detect these groups, and the safety of people traveling on known high-risk roads.
Security experts warn that the openness with which these groups operate, posting videos of abductions and flaunting heavy weaponry, signals either impunity or insufficient counter-operation tactics.
In the Edo case, authorities pledged tactical intelligence and operations, yet the seminarians remain in captivity.
Public reaction has been one of frustration, grief, and a growing mistrust of the authorities. On Twitter, the hashtag #FreeOrasuur trended as Nigerians expressed outrage that kidnappers appear to be in control while the state watches.
One post read: “If you can kidnap an immigration officer and record it, then something is deeply wrong with our intelligence and patrol systems.” Others noted that security agencies seem reactive, not proactive, as abductions are only addressed after viral exposure rather than being prevented.
Families of victims echoed this sentiment. A relative of Orasuur who preferred anonymity said: “We have gone to the police, we have pleaded. They tell us investigations are ongoing. But every hour our hope fades; the video makes us feel like everyone is watching and doing nothing.”
Experts point to a wider crisis of insecurity in the Middle Belt. A study on kidnapping in Katsina-Ala showed that abductions strongly disrupt markets, transportation, farming, and local businesses, altering daily routines out of fear.
NGOs tracking insecurity report thousands of kidnappings nationwide each year, with Benue repeatedly listed among the hotspots. In a recent report, nearly 5,000 cases of kidnapping were recorded nationally in just eight months, underscoring the scale of the crisis.
Dr. Esther Uche, a security analyst, described the kidnappers’ new tactics as a deliberate shift. “Showing victims on camera is not just about ransom.
“It is about psychological terror, a demonstration of power. The kidnappers want to show they can act with impunity. That indicates systemic gaps in monitoring, patrols, and intelligence,” she said.
Retired Major General Musa Yakubu added that viral videos highlight the failure of proactive surveillance. “Roads that are known high-risk should have regular monitoring by drones, fast-response teams, and informant networks. It’s unacceptable that people—including public officers—are captured and displayed like this,” he said.
For society, the impact goes beyond ransom. Each video chips away at public trust and normalizes fear. Communities feel unsafe even in daylight, economic activity slows down, and farming and education are disrupted.
When people believe that travel on certain roads means abduction or that institutions like schools and seminaries are unsafe, daily life is fundamentally altered.
Legal experts like Professor Linda Auta warn that the persistence of such crimes risks undermining faith in the rule of law. “The state has an obligation to protect.
The footages may serve as evidence, but they are also reminders of failure. If kidnappers continue to act without consequence, public faith in governance erodes,” she noted
Stakeholders including church leaders, civil society, and victims’ families are pressing for urgency.
The Bishop of Auchi Diocese recently implored President Tinubu and security agencies to rescue the Edo seminarians, describing their ordeal as traumatic for both victims and Communities.
In Benue, the kidnapping of officers like Orasuur reinforces the perception that no class of citizen is immune. Experts propose several solutions: stronger intelligence gathering, proactive patrols, better coordination among security agencies, legal reforms for speedier trials and harsher punishments, and deeper community engagement in providing early warnings.
For Orasuur, Iorwuese, and others still in captivity, the hope is for safe release.
For society, the hope must go further—that this episode will mark a turning point, where the authorities move from reacting after viral videos to preventing abductions altogether, protecting citizens adequately, and ensuring justice for every violation.
