An elderly Italian construction engineer, Modesto di Girolamo, in his late 70s, was kidnapped in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State. The engineer, who worked for the Italian firm Borini Prono Construction Company, was abducted at approximately 5:30 pm while inspecting a road drainage project along Bishop Smith Street. The assailants whisked him away to an unknown destination in a waiting vehicle. No contact was made by the kidnappers in the three days following the abduction.
31 May 2012 · Bishop Smith Street, Ilorin, Kwara
Deaths
0
Injured
0
Kidnapped
1
Total casualties
0
Perpetrators
Unidentified Armed Actors
Response
The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the incident, with Police Public Relations Officer DSP Fabode Olufemi stating that investigations were underway. The Italian Foreign Ministry activated diplomatic channels and cooperated with Nigerian authorities.
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
Kidnapping for ransom was a growing criminal enterprise in Nigeria during this period, with foreigners seen as high-value targets. Local media noted that "due to the poor economic situation in Nigeria, there have been frequent robberies and kidnappings of foreigners" in various regions
Trajectory
The kidnapping occurred on the same day that a German hostage, Edgar Fritz Raupach (kidnapped in January 2012), was killed during a military raid in Kano . This convergence highlighted several evolving dynamics: Raupach's kidnapping was claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), which demanded the release of a jailed German woman . Security officials noted that AQIM had "loose links with Boko Haram" and that the groups may have shared training and funding .
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier kidnappings of foreign nationals working on development and construction projects in northern Nigeria, a tactic frequently employed by armed groups, including Boko Haram. Similar incidents include the 8 March 2012 kidnapping of two foreign engineers in Birnin Kebbi and the 19 December 2012 abduction of a French national in Rimi village near Katsina, reflecting a recurring pattern of targeting expatriate workers at infrastructure or construction sites to gain ransom, publicity, and leverage over authorities and foreign partners.
Pattern
Kidnapping of Foreign Nationals —` insurgents target expatriates for ransom, propaganda, or leverage
Related — Kidnapping
At approximately 8:30 pm, a large group of armed Bandits stormed Greenfield University, a private institution located at Kasarami village along the Kaduna-Abuja Highway in Chikun LGA. The attackers shot sporadically, killing a staff member, Paul Ude Okafor, and abducted at least 22 people (14 female students, 6 male students, and 2 female staff). Most of the victims were female students, who were separated from male students and staff after the abduction. The troops of Operation Thunder Strike responded but did not make contact with the fleeing Bandits.
Bandits abducted four villagers inside Borgu National Park forest, Niger.
Gunmen abducted a veterinary doctor and three children in Kungabokun community, Bwari LGA, FCT.