Kidnapping has exploded into a national crisis that shows the government is losing the war against terror. With over 1,680 schoolchildren abducted since 2014 and Nigeria now ranked 8th globally for kidnappings, security forces appear overwhelmed as bandits operate with impunity across vast, under-policed regions. The Safe Schools Initiative has failed despite major funding, exposing corruption and negligence while armed groups turn classrooms into hunting grounds and the administration offers empty promises instead of decisive action.