Now, in a nation that for more than a decade has been plagued by armed attacks against civilians, people are wondering if these attacks are not decreasing because criminal elements and security personnel are working together.

It is not unreasonable to believe that some of these groups are being assisted by military personnel, Bashir Galma, a security analyst and retired army major, told the BBC.

“I know there have been cases where plans are made for an attack on a location and the information reaches [militant Islamist group] Boko Haram or another criminal gang,” he said, suggesting an insider tip.

Between January 2024 and April 2025 alone, there were at least 3,000 kidnappings and 3,580 murders at the hands of armed groups, according to data from the Nigerian National Human Rights Commission.

The alarming rise in mass kidnappings has been attributed to gunmen known locally as bandits, as well as insurgent attacks by Boko Haram and its affiliate, Iswap.

Attacks on schools have also made headlines, although this has been a problem for years. Between April 2014 and May 2026, there were 26 major attacks on schools and at least 2,416 students were kidnapped, according to the International Center for Investigative Journalism (ICIR).

Ransom payments are estimated to amount to millions of dollars a year, according to official data.

In April 2025, the governor of Nigeria’s embattled Borno state, Babagana Zulum, alleged that informants and collaborators of Boko Haram insurgents were operating within the country’s military, political class and local communities.

“What we have to do is strengthen our intelligence and deal with them ruthlessly,” he said during a security meeting.

Months later, a special court-martial sentenced three Nigerian soldiers to life in prison for their role in a major arms and ammunition trafficking scheme. The army found them guilty of robbery, illegal ammunition trafficking and “aiding the enemy.”

Security analyst Galma told the BBC he believes low salaries breed corruption among soldiers. There’s also the “question of ideology”: Some staff might have a secret allegiance to other groups, he said.

One current serving soldier, who spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity, admitted there have been cases of soldiers “caught dealing with the other side”, but said such matters are often “hushed up and dealt with internally”.

A man, freed after his family paid a ransom of 57 million naira ($42,000; £31,000), described a disturbing scene upon his release.

“They dropped us off at a location and there were security staff who shook hands and laughed,” he told the BBC, asking not to be named.

He believes the security forces he saw may have received a portion of the ransom, although he has no evidence that this was the case.

Farmer Yahuza Isa, kidnapped in Zamfara State, expressed frustration shared by many victims.

“I myself know where these criminals are,” he said. “Then why not take care of them completely?”

Another survivor, who endured a 30-day ordeal in late 2024, said he suspected collusion “at a much higher level.”

He described hearing a helicopter land very close to the hidden camp where he was kept blindfolded.

“When I first heard it I was hoping that the Nigerian Air Force… had come to rescue us,” he said. “But then we could hear the helicopter leaving.”

He heard it several more times, leading him to believe that the gangs had some kind of high-level logistical cooperation.