# Kidnapping and missing persons crisis in Borno State

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/kidnapping-and-missing-persons-crisis-in-borno-state
> Updated: 2026-10-25T06:26:24.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 2.

In Borno State, Nigeria, persistent kidnappings and regional violence have created a long-term humanitarian crisis characterized by economic devastation and profound psychological trauma. Families are frequently forced into a cycle of poverty, selling livestock and exhausting savings to pay ransoms, which diverts essential funds from healthcare and education.

The crisis has also led to widespread instability, including school closures and the prolonged disappearance of numerous individuals. Families in Maiduguri continue to seek answers for relatives missing since the height of regional instability in the early 2010s. The uncertainty surrounding these abductions has resulted in enduring grief, with some community members passing away without ever learning the fate of their loved ones.

## Claims

- Falmata Mohammed and her mother were abducted by unidentified gunmen in 2011. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Kashim Mohammed chairs the Association for the Well-being of Displaced and Missing Persons’ Families. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- An unverified report claimed Falmata Mohammed was found in Benin. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Adam Muhammad Bashir went missing around 2012 or 2013. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Mohammed Kolo died at age 60 from an illness attributed to high blood pressure. (corroborated by 3 sources)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-25: Families in northeast Nigeria seek answers for missing relatives

Families in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in Maiduguri, continue to search for relatives abducted or lost during years of violence and the Boko Haram crisis.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/families-in-northeast-nigeria-seek-answers-for-missing-relatives

### 2026-10-08: Borno State families face economic and emotional crisis from kidnappings

Kidnappings in Nigeria’s Borno State are causing profound economic and emotional hardship, forcing families into debt and disrupting education as they struggle to pay ransoms for abducted relatives.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/borno-state-families-face-economic-and-emotional-crisis-from-kidnappings

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Cite as: Kidnapping and missing persons crisis in Borno State. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/kidnapping-and-missing-persons-crisis-in-borno-state