A fresh and disturbing video has gone viral on social media, showing armed bandits openly counting and balancing their profits from kidnapping operations. The clip, which surfaced on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, has left many Nigerians angry and worried about the level of insecurity in the country.………
In the video, the bandits are seen sitting together, spreading bundles of naira notes on the ground or table. They carefully calculate how much money came in from recent kidnappings, subtract expenses, and share the balance. One of them speaks in pidgin, explaining their “business” like it is normal work. The large amount of cash shown suggests they made tens or even hundreds of millions from victims’ families.
Though the exact location is not confirmed, such videos usually come from bandit hideouts in northern Nigeria, especially areas in Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, or Kaduna States where kidnapping for ransom has become a big criminal business. Security experts say bandits now treat kidnapping like a company, with leaders, foot soldiers, and even accountants.
This latest video has sparked massive outrage. Many wonder how these criminals operate so freely and even record themselves without fear. Parents who lost loved ones or paid huge ransoms are pained seeing the bandits enjoying the money.
On social media, reactions have been hot. One user wrote, “This country don finish! Bandits dey balance account like bankers. Government, wetin una dey do?” Another commented, “See profit from human suffering. Make dem burn all this money when dem catch them.” Many said, “Our leaders dey sleep while bandits dey build empire with our blood money.” Some pitied victims: “Imagine paying your last kobo to free your papa, only for these boys to dey count am like this.” A few called for military action: “Army should use this video to track and finish them once and for all.”
The trend has brought attention back to the multi-billion naira kidnapping industry in Nigeria. In the past year alone, families paid billions in ransom, yet the problem continues. Citizens are asking why it is so hard to stop these bandits when they proudly show their faces and money online.
