The Federal Government of Nigeria has introduced a free-to-use 112 emergency number.
This development was announced by Major General Adamu Laka, National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, during a press briefing in Abuja on February 6.
The 112 emergency number, facilitated by the Nigerian Communications Commission, enables Nigerians to report suspicious activities, crimes, and kidnappings.
The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) urges citizens to utilize this toll-free number, as well as designated numbers provided by the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell, to report any security concerns.
Kidnapping for ransom remains a pressing challenge in Nigeria, necessitating collective efforts from all stakeholders.
Despite a 16.3% decline in kidnapping-for-ransom incidents between 2023 and 2024, the number of victims increased by 0.27% during the same period.
The states of Kaduna, Katsina, and Zamfara, located in the North-West region, accounted for 13.8% of all kidnapping-for-ransom incidents and a staggering 61.1% of total victims nationwide.
