An American journalist was kidnapped off the streets of Baghdad, Iraq, by armed men in an abduction likely carried out by an Iranian-backed militia — and Iraqi security forces scrambled in their unsuccessful attempt to intercept the kidnappers.
A group of armed men stopped Shelly Kittleson&#8217;s car in the middle of the street, pulled her out, and quickly fled the scene with her in tow. Iraqi security forces immediately pursued, but were unable to stop the kidnappers,
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
CCTV video shows the moment American journalist <a href="https://twitter.com/shellykittleson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@shellykittleson</a> was taken in Baghdad. <a href="https://t.co/JqJcdW7TOb">pic.twitter.com/JqJcdW7TOb</a>
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) <a href="https://twitter.com/TreyYingst/status/2039047721001095275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
CNN National Security Analyst and former Pentagon official Alex Plitsas <a href="https://x.com/alexplitsas/status/2039036851046990259">stated</a> via X that Kittleson was likely taken hostage by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia with ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Kittleson, a journalist specializing in the Middle East who has reported for the BBC, Foreign Relations, and POLITICO, was in Baghdad reporting on Iraqi politics for the outlet Al-Monitor at the time of her kidnapping.
The Iraqi Ministry of Interior said in a statement that efforts are underway to track down the perpetrators and rescue Kittleson.
&#8220;Security forces immediately launched an operation to apprehend the perpetrators, acting on precise intelligence and through intensive field operations, tracking the kidnappers’ movements,&#8221; a translated statement from the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior <a href="https://moi.gov.iq/?article=20535">reads</a>. &#8220;The pursuit resulted in the interception of a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers, which overturned as they attempted to escape. Security forces were able to arrest one of the suspects and seize one of the vehicles used in the crime.&#8221;
Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said in a <a href="https://x.com/ASDylanJohnson/status/2039068022451613858">statement</a> on X that the State Department was &#8220;aware of the reported kidnapping&#8221; and that Kittleson had been warned of the dangers of continuing to work in Iraq.
&#8220;The State Department previously fulfilled our duty to warn this individual of threats against them and we will continue to coordinate with the FBI to ensure their release as quickly as possible,&#8221; the statement reads. &#8220;An individual with ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hezbollah believed to be involved in the kidnapping has been taken into custody by Iraqi authorities.&#8221;
&#8220;Iraq remains at a Level 4 Travel Advisory and Americans are advised not to travel to Iraq for any reason and to leave Iraq now. The State Department strongly advise all Americans, including members of the press, to adhere to all travel advisories,&#8221; the statement concludes.

Baghdad

WATCH: Video Shows Moment American Female Journalist Is Kidnapped In Iraq

Iran war

Iraq

kidnapping

Middle East

In a bombshell interview with Hoda Kotb Thursday on the <a href="https://www.today.com/news/savannah-guthrie-nancy-guthrie-moment-mom-missing-rcna265248">Today Show</a>, Savannah Guthrie took us through the nightmare she&#8217;s been living for the last 54 days since her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, was kidnapped from her bed in the middle of the night.
Savannah said her mother was abducted in her pajamas, with no shoes, leaving behind everything. After Savannah&#8217;s sister called 911 on February 1, the Today Show host said it didn&#8217;t take long for the siblings to know something was very wrong.
&#8220;My brother, you know, he spent his career in the military and worked in intelligence and is a fighter pilot and is brilliant,&#8221; Savannah said. &#8220;He saw very clearly right away what this was. Even on the phone when I called him, he knew. And he said I think she&#8217;s been kidnapped for ransom.&#8221;
It&#8217;s a theory the family has held on to throughout the ongoing investigation. Ransom notes flooded news outlets and other avenues following Nancy&#8217;s mysterious disappearance. Savannah and her siblings, Annie and Cameron, addressed two notes that specifically demanded payment in Bitcoin.
&#8220;I believe the two notes that we responded to, I tend to believe those are real,&#8221; Savannah said.
Savannah admits she knows it is a possibility because of her public prominence. She could be the reason her mother was targeted to make a quick buck, but it&#8217;s a thought she can barely say out loud. The family remains uncertain of a motive, seven weeks in.
&#8220;It&#8217;s too much to bear to think I brought this to her bedside, that it&#8217;s because of me,&#8221; Savannah told her former co-anchor. &#8220;If it is me &#8230; I&#8217;m so sorry.&#8221;
The family was the center of scrutiny early on in the investigation, with rumors swirling that the kidnapping could have been an inside job. Savannah finally addressed those rumors, describing how it affected her already grieving family.
&#8220;It piles pain upon pain. There are no words,&#8221; Savannah said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t understand, and I&#8217;ll never understand. No one took better care of my mom than my sister and brother-in-law. No one protected my mom more than my brother. We love her. She is our shining light, our matriarch, she&#8217;s all we have.&#8221;
The rumors started to quiet down after the FBI, with the help of Google, released <a href="https://youtube.com/shorts/phuBCMSiXuo?si=mquv4c06TNPkqhil">images</a> of an armed, masked man with a backpack on Nancy&#8217;s front steps. The images are chilling, but Savannah said she&#8217;s thankful the public can see who was at her mom&#8217;s door so the focus can be on finding out who it is.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Savannah Guthrie opened up to Hoda Kotb about her reaction to seeing footage of an armed and masked person outside of mom Nancy Guthrie’s home on the night she disappeared. <a href="https://t.co/CI7WhyJfw7">https://t.co/CI7WhyJfw7</a>
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/2037182857060257954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;I mean, it&#8217;s just absolutely terrifying, it&#8217;s totally terrifying,&#8221; Savannah said of the images. &#8220;And I can&#8217;t imagine that&#8217;s who she saw standing over her bed. I can&#8217;t. That&#8217;s too much.&#8221;
The agony and desperation for answers were painted all over the news anchor&#8217;s face. While Savannah acknowledged the tireless work investigators are doing, she is again asking for answers.
&#8220;We cannot be at peace without knowing, and someone can do the right thing. It is never too late to do the right thing, and our hearts are focused on that.&#8221;
The second part of the two-part interview airs Friday on the Today Show.

Credit: Joe Raedle/Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images

Savannah Guthrie Reveals Theory She Can’t Shake In Mother’s Kidnapping Case

'I Think She's Been Kidnapped For Ransom': Savannah Guthrie Takes Us Inside Her Living Nightmare

Nancy Guthrie

NBC News

News

Savannah Guthrie

True Crime

Listen to the latest episode of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/fng-ep-15?elementPosition=8&amp;row=2&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">Finding Nancy Guthrie</a>, a special Daily Wire true crime podcast with reporter Lynden Blake on the most shocking missing-person case in America.
<iframe style="border: 0; border-radius: 4px; width: 1px; min-width: 100%; height: 2400px;" src="https://go.arena.im/embed?publisher=daily-wire&amp;event=UwKW5JE&amp;v=2">﻿</iframe>

16×9-update-nancy_720

LIVE UPDATES: Savannah Guthrie’s Family Says Answers May Lie In Overlooked Timeline Details

Ransom Plot

TODAY Show

In the hours following Nancy Guthrie’s kidnapping, ransom notes were sent to multiple news outlets demanding $6 million in Bitcoin by 5 p.m. ET on Monday.
Guthrie, 84, the mother of “Today Show” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, was taken from her home nine days ago. Since her disappearance, news outlets have received messages detailing cryptocurrency payment instructions.
Criminals are increasingly turning to Bitcoin and other digital assets in ransom and extortion cases for several reasons.
Personal information is not required to access a private cryptocurrency wallet; this is one reason criminals often prefer self-custody wallets for their Bitcoin, requiring only a digital wallet and a pseudonym. Once funds are transferred to the digital wallet, the transaction cannot be reversed, unlike credit card payments or wire transfers, which can sometimes be disputed or clawed back. There is also no central authority that can freeze a Bitcoin wallet or halt a transaction.
Chainalysis&#8217;s 2024 Crypto report <a href="https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/2026-crypto-crime-report-introduction/">stated</a>, &#8220;Human trafficking operations have increasingly leveraged cryptocurrency, while there has also been a particularly disturbing rise in physical coercion attacks, in which criminals use violence to force victims to transfer assets, often timing these assaults to coincide with cryptocurrency price peaks.&#8221; Chainalysis estimated that tens of billions of dollars in cryptocurrency were linked to illicit activity in 2024.
However, Bitcoin does not provide total anonymity; it operates on a public, immutable ledger, meaning every transaction is permanently recorded and visible.
The Daily Wire spoke to Lionsgate Networks CEO Bezalel Eithan Raviv, who leads a firm that specializes in crypto security and asset recovery.
“A lot of people believe there’s no way to trace or recover crypto. This is a myth,” Raviv said.
He told The Daily Wire that using only the Bitcoin address provided in the ransom messages, the funds could indeed be tracked. “We would send a single dollar and we will trace the location of where it hits and lands. We would give that intel to law enforcement without sending $6 million in crypto. You can probe that wallet with a very small transaction.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/dwn-260204"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1039207" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal.jpg" alt="" width="2290" height="544" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal.jpg 2290w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-300x71.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-1024x243.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-768x182.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-1536x365.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-2048x487.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2290px) 100vw, 2290px" /></a>
Tracing typically identifies wallet relationships and exchange touchpoints, not precise locations.
Raviv warned that such cases are likely to increase, as he believes criminals are often more sophisticated than law enforcement.
“Unfortunately, what we have experienced with this very unfortunate story will only scale,” he said. “Cybercriminals have the leverage because they do understand the tactics and the maneuvers that law enforcement will probably take years to catch up with.”
Still, Raviv emphasized that blockchain transparency remains a powerful investigative tool. “Blockchain is a language,” Raviv said. “And if you can speak it, you can do a lot with it.”
The second deadline for Nancy Guthrie has passed. The ransom reportedly increased from $4 million to $6 million on Monday.
On Monday, Savannah Guthrie posted a video on Instagram calling on the public to pray for her mother&#8217;s safe return and contact law enforcement &#8220;if there is anything at all that seems strange.&#8221;
&#8220;We are at an hour of desperation, and we need your help,&#8221; she added.
Tuesday marks day ten of the search for Nancy Guthrie.

Bitcoin

The Nancy Guthrie Case Shows How Cryptocurrency Changed Ransom

Crime

Cryptocurrency

U.S.

In a gut-wrenching video posted by Savannah Guthrie, the &#8220;Today Show&#8221; host said her family received a message and they &#8220;will pay&#8221; ransom money to have their 84-year-old mother returned.
&#8220;We received your message and we understand,&#8221; Savannah Guthrie said in a video posted Saturday night. &#8220;We beg you now to return our mother to us, so we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace.&#8221;
&#8220;This is very valuable to us,&#8221; she added. &#8220;And we will pay.&#8221;
In the somber video, Savannah Guthrie is holding hands with her two siblings, Annie and Camron.
Nancy Guthrie was forcefully <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-search-continues-for-nancy-guthrie-as-deadline-for-ransom-note-passes?author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+Consequential+Deadline+Approaches+As+Day+6+Of+Nancy+Guthrie+Search+Continues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taken from her home</a> in Catalina Hills outside of Tucson, Arizona, in the early morning hours of February 1, according to authorities.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
BREAKING
In a new video, Savannah Guthrie, joined by her sister and brother, speaks directly to the person or persons who abducted their mother, Nancy, and says she will pay the ransom to have her returned. <a href="https://t.co/DJMHYaLWdV">pic.twitter.com/DJMHYaLWdV</a>
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/2020281293439955387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2026</a></blockquote>
President Donald Trump on Friday night told the press that the feds would likely soon be able to provide “definitive” answers or a “solution” concerning the capture of Nancy.
“I’ll give you a little statement,” Trump said. “I think we’re doing very well, very well, meaning, we have some clues I think that are very strong, and I think we could have some answers coming up fairly soon.”
“I’m not talking about a search, I’m talking about a solution,” the president continued. “We have some things I think that will maybe come out reasonably soon from [Department of Justice] or FBI, or whoever that could be — that could be definitive.”
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116015545880326010" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on February 4 that he spoke to Savannah Guthrie and let her know that he was “directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY.”
“We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely,” he added. “The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family. GOD BLESS AND PROTECT NANCY!”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/dwn-260204"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1039207" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal.jpg" alt="" width="2290" height="544" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal.jpg 2290w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-300x71.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-1024x243.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-768x182.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-1536x365.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-2048x487.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2290px) 100vw, 2290px" /></a>
On Feb. 5, police <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nancy-guthries-blood-found-on-front-porch-investigators-say">confirmed</a> during a press conference that blood found on the front porch of Nancy Guthrie&#8217;s home was indeed hers.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VIbeKsZF6E">updated</a> the public on the investigation at a recent press conference. While law enforcement has neither identified a suspect nor person of interest, Nanos said that more samples of DNA in addition to the blood on the porch had been sent in for analysis.
The sheriff also said that his office, with help from other law enforcement, including the FBI, have been investigating dozens of tips in the search for Guthrie.
“Right now, we still believe Nancy is still out there,” said Nanos.
Law enforcement on Thursday released an estimated timetable of Guthrie’s disappearance and revealed that a home camera, one that attached to Guthrie&#8217;s front doorbell, was disconnected and removed. Investigators have still not located the missing camera.
Multiple ransom notes with deadlines have been sent following Guthrie&#8217;s disappearance, demanding millions of dollars in Bitcoin.
On Friday, Guthrie&#8217;s vehicle was towed from her home, according to <a href="https://www.kvoa.com/news/nancy-guthrie/investigators-remove-car-from-nancy-guthries-tucson-home/article_0bdb833a-5f1d-47e1-b22b-837087298b92.html">NBC News</a>. Authorities have not released information detailing why the car was towed.
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

Guthrie Says Family Received Message, Will Pay Ransom For Mother Nancy

Trump Administration

Investigators in the missing-persons case of Nancy Guthrie, the mother of NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie, confirmed that blood found on the front porch of Guthrie’s home belongs to her.
Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VIbeKsZF6E">updated</a> the public on the investigation on Thursday. While law enforcement has neither identified a suspect nor person of interest, Nanos said that more samples of DNA in addition to the blood on the porch had been sent in for analysis.
The sheriff also said that his office, with help from other law enforcement, including the FBI, have been investigating dozens of tips in the search for Guthrie.
“Right now, we still believe Nancy is still out there,” said Nanos.
Law enforcement on Thursday released an estimated timetable of Guthrie’s disappearance and revealed that a home camera, one that attached to Guthrie&#8217;s front doorbell, was disconnected and removed. Investigators have still not located the missing camera.
The timetable begins at approximately 5:32 p.m. on January 31 when Guthrie left her house to spend the evening with her daughter and son-in-law, who lived nearby. Guthrie&#8217;s son-in-law dropped her off at her home just before 10 p.m. when Guthrie’s home security devices registered her garage opening and closing.
At 1:47 a.m. on the morning of February 1, Guthrie’s doorbell camera is disconnected. Roughly 30 minutes later, movement is caught on one of Guthrie’s home cameras. Nanos noted that the movement could have been an animal or something else. There is no recording of what was captured because Guthrie did not subscribe to a service to hold such a recording for any length of time, according to Nanos.
At 2:28 a.m., Guthrie’s pacemaker app disconnects from her phone. It wasn’t until noon that concerned family members went to Guthrie’s house to check on her, discovered her missing, and called authorities.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/dwn-260204"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1039207" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal.jpg" alt="" width="2290" height="544" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal.jpg 2290w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-300x71.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-1024x243.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-768x182.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-1536x365.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Guthriebannerfinal-2048x487.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2290px) 100vw, 2290px" /></a>
Nanos’ briefing was the first from law enforcement since Guthrie’s children <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/savannah-guthrie-and-siblings-demand-proof-of-life-in-video-plea-for-their-mother">released</a> a video on Wednesday pleading for proof that their mother is still alive. The siblings said that they are willing to talk about paying a ransom for their mother, but needed to know she is alive. The Guthrie family put out the video after several reports of ransom notes were published in the media.
“We too have heard the reports about a ransom letter in the media,” said Savannah Guthrie. “As a family, we are doing everything that we can. We are ready to talk. However, we live in a world where voices and images are easily manipulated. We need to know without a doubt that she is alive and that you have her. We want to hear from you, and we are ready to listen. Please reach out to us.”
The case has captured the nation&#8217;s attention, with even President Trump weighing in and speaking with Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday afternoon.
Shortly after the &#8220;Today Show&#8221; host released the video in which the Guthries plead for their mother&#8217;s return, Trump posted to <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116015545880326010 I spoke with Savannah Guthrie, and let her know that I am directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY. We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely. The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family. GOD BLESS AND PROTECT NANCY! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP">TruthSocial</a>.
&#8220;I spoke with Savannah Guthrie, and let her know that I am directing ALL Federal Law Enforcement to be at the family’s, and Local Law Enforcement’s, complete disposal, IMMEDIATELY,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;We are deploying all resources to get her mother home safely. The prayers of our Nation are with her and her family. GOD BLESS AND PROTECT NANCY! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.&#8221;

Sign at the house of Nancy Guthrie

Nancy Guthrie’s Blood Found On Front Porch, Investigators Say

Arizona

Media

Law enforcement successfully rescued two young sisters reported missing over the weekend and arrested a 19-year-old man accused of grooming and abducting them from their Florida home after contacting the girls through the popular online game Roblox.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Hser Mu Lah Say from Omaha, Nebraska, saying he allegedly drove nearly 24 hours nonstop to pick up the 12- and 14-year-old girls from their home in Indiantown, Florida.
Georgia Highway Patrol located the vehicle several hours after the girls were reported missing and found all three individuals inside.
“This was a sobering case for us here at the county sheriff’s office, but we’re thankful with how it ended,” Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek <a href="https://people.com/2-young-girls-abducted-after-being-groomed-by-man-they-chatted-with-on-roblox-police-say-11898085">said</a>.
“They learned through their investigation that the same day, about 9 in the morning, these same two girls had gone to a local park there in Indiantown, had been found by a family member, brought back to their home [and] punished,” he added, noting that this included having their phones taken away. They later contacted the suspect using another device.
Authorities say Lah Say had been chatting with the girls for months on Snapchat and Roblox, and allegedly sent them gifts. 
“The communication initially started, we believe, and keep in mind we’re going through devices, in the summer of 2025, on a gaming app called Roblox. And from that gaming app, these girls were then moved from Roblox over to Snapchat,” Budensiek said. 
The sheriff noted how the family noticed “weird” things in the time leading up to the abduction, such as food being delivered to the house. Law enforcement now believes this was part of the grooming process. The family alerted officers about the existence of the suspect, who was said to have kept &#8220;a constant thread of communication&#8221; with the girls.
Lah Say was charged with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of interference with child custody. 
&#8220;We talk regularly about the importance of parents and family members being vigilant about grooming and social media platforms and the impact it has on kids,&#8221; Budensiek said, per <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/amp/GMA/News/siblings-rescued-after-alleged-kidnapping-19-year-met/story?id=129794514">ABC News</a>. “In this case, I think we prevented something disastrous.&#8221; 
&#8220;There is no application online that&#8217;s safe,&#8221; he added. &#8220;If you can communicate with somebody away from your house in the quiet of your own room, it can be a problem. So parents have to be vigilant.&#8221;

Roblox

Two Sisters Were Abducted By A Man Who Groomed Them On Roblox

Florida Man Accused Of Kidnapping 2 Sisters He Allegedly Groomed On Roblox

Children

Florida

grooming

<div>
Gunmen <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/17/africa/gunmen-kidnap-schoolgirls-nigeria-intl">attacked</a> a girls’ boarding school in Kebbi State, northwest Nigeria, early Monday, killing a vice principal and abducting 25 female students in what authorities described as a coordinated assault.
According to police spokesperson Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi, the assailants arrived around 4 a.m. local time at the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga town, armed with rifles and prepared for confrontation. They exchanged gunfire with police officers before scaling the school’s perimeter fence and carrying out the mass abduction. Vice Principal Hassan Yakubu Makuku was shot dead while attempting to resist the attackers, and another staff member was wounded.
</div>
<div>
In response, police deployed tactical units alongside soldiers and local vigilantes to track the perpetrators through suspected escape corridors and forested areas. The incident adds to a long pattern of mass kidnappings in Nigeria’s northwest, where armed criminal gangs — often referred to locally as “bandits” — have repeatedly targeted schools for ransom. These attacks continue despite government efforts to reinforce security following high-profile kidnappings such as Boko Haram’s 2014 abduction of over 270 schoolgirls in Chibok, many of whom remain missing.
</div>
<div>
The Kebbi assault comes against the backdrop of another major kidnapping crisis. In March 2024, at least 287 schoolchildren were <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/13/africa/gunmen-demand-ransom-287-children-nigeria-intl">abducted</a> in Kuriga village in neighboring Kaduna State. The kidnappers later issued a chilling ransom demand of 1 billion naira (about $621,800), threatening to kill all the students if the government failed to comply within 20 days. A local resident, Aminu Jibril, told CNN that the abductors contacted him directly, claiming the kidnapping was retaliation for the killing of their gang members by security forces. Jibril believes his phone number was obtained from a school official kidnapped alongside the children.
</div>
<div>
The Kuriga attack occurred when armed bandits on motorcycles stormed the LEA Primary and Secondary School in Chikun district, seizing nearly 300 students. While some escaped or were rescued, hundreds remained in captivity. Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani stated that his administration was taking all possible steps to secure the release of the students. A community member who attempted to confront the attackers during the raid was killed.
</div>
<div>
Kaduna, which borders Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, has endured a series of mass abductions in recent years. In 2021, at least 140 secondary school students were kidnapped in the state, and months earlier, gunmen abducted around 20 university students in the same district. Five of those students were later killed when ransom demands went unmet.
</div>

NIGERIA-UNREST-KIDNAPPING-CHIBOK

25 Schoolgirls Abducted In Latest Mass Kidnapping In Nigeria

Nigeria

Schoolgirls

World

The Daily Wire is releasing an important new documentary today. In association with Our Rescue, “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/hiding-in-plain-sight-america-s-trafficking-epidemic">Hiding in Plain Sight</a>” takes you inside the shocking world of digital predators who use everyday apps to hunt, groom, and traffic children from their own bedrooms — at a scale law enforcement has never seen before.
Few people know that better than Derek Benner, CEO of <a href="http://www.ourrescue.org">Our Rescue</a>. Benner helped lead the creation of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, the nation’s first unified task force dedicated to ending modern slavery.
As Benner points out, the crisis is closer than we think. — The Daily Wire
* * *
One of the most common questions I get as the CEO of Our Rescue is: “Does child exploitation and sex trafficking really happen here?” 
I often reply, if you ask any law enforcement officer working sex trafficking and child exploitation cases, they’ll tell you the same thing: “The biggest mistake people make is thinking this crime doesn’t happen at home, in our communities, in the United States. It does. And it’s everywhere.”
Worldwide, there are nearly 50 million people trapped in modern slavery, according to the International Labor Organization. In 2024, the Global Tips Report showed that the number of children being trafficked had increased 31% in 2022 compared to 2019, with a 38% rise recorded for girls. Before I joined Our Rescue, I spent my career at Homeland Security Investigations — leading complex efforts to combat human trafficking and child exploitation and spearheading the creation of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, the first unified, inter-agency coordination center dedicated to combating trafficking in all forms. And I can tell you, everyday law enforcement officers uncover cases of children and adults being groomed, recruited, coerced, or even sold in our own communities. The victims are not just statistics; they are neighbors, classmates, and children whose lives are being stolen in plain sight.
But beyond these trafficking cases, another fast-growing threat is here in the U.S. — the online sexual exploitation of children. Technology has opened new frontiers for predators and organized criminal groups, making it easier than ever to target American kids in their own homes.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Hiding in Plain Sight: America’s Trafficking Epidemic | The Official Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AOS9VUHpDpE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The scale of child sexual exploitation in the United States is staggering. In 2024 alone, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline received over 20.5 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation. These reports included more than 62.9 million files of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). This is not just a statistic; it represents real images, videos, and other materials depicting children enduring unimaginable harm.
Mike Prado, who heads the Cyber Crimes Center (C3) at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), put it plainly: “This is no longer just about lone offenders. Today, organized criminal groups overseas are running sextortion schemes that deliberately target American children for profit.” Operations out of places like West Africa have pushed kids in America into such despair that some have taken their own lives within hours of first contact. That is the new face of exploitation. And it’s happening in U.S. households. Every. Single. Day.
The game has changed. “Now these offenders have access to the same technology that the government has,” Prado told me. “They don’t have to go to MIT. They don’t have to have a computer science degree to figure this stuff out.”
Two decades ago, law enforcement relied on basic email for victim identification. Smartphones weren’t widely available, the darknet was barely in use, and exploiting technology required computer science expertise. Today, both predators and our children can figure out these tools with ease. Technology is everywhere, and every device a child receives, whether for school or learning, can become a portal into the darker areas of the internet. According to a 2019 Kaspersky study, 84% of parents worldwide are worried about their children’s online safety. Yet also according to the study, on average, parents only spend a total of 46 minutes talking to their children about online security throughout their entire childhood. Ignoring that is a luxury we can’t afford anymore.
While law enforcement and government investment in combating exploitation have increased over the years, there is still much more to do to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated offenders.
The core challenge is sheer scale. Every success is quickly met with new cases, and for every criminal network taken down overseas, another takes its place. It is the demand for Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) in the U.S. that keeps this cycle in motion.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/hiding-in-plain-sight-america-s-trafficking-epidemic"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-993575 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Untitled-design-7-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Untitled-design-7-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Untitled-design-7-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Untitled-design-7-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Untitled-design-7-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/Untitled-design-7.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
In 2024, reports involving generative artificial intelligence (AI) increased by 1,325%, highlighting how technology is being weaponized against our children. Additionally, reports of online enticement, including sextortion, rose by 192%, with nearly 100 reports of financial sextortion per day. Since 2021, NCMEC has been aware of at least 36 teenage boys who have taken their lives due to this crime.
The problem is not just the number of cases but the sophistication of the predators and the overwhelming volume of reports. In 2024, NCMEC assisted law enforcement with 29,568 cases of missing children and helped bring 91% of them home. However, the risks, especially online, are becoming more complex and widespread.
But I believe that partnerships are the key to changing the tide in this fight. Just this year, the inaugural Interstate Justice Coalition surge operation (coordinated between Our Rescue, We Fight Monsters, and Skull Games Solutions and in partnership with local law enforcement agencies) spanned across Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, resulting in the identification of 32 trafficking victims, the safe recovery of 26 survivors, and the arrest of 15 traffickers.
It’s work like this — collaboration between law enforcement, nonprofits, communities, and individuals is what ultimately keeps children safe. Fighting sex trafficking and child exploitation isn’t only about arrests: It’s also about prevention and education, because the best defense is an informed community. I invite you to learn more about how you can <a href="https://ourrescue.org/join-the-fight">Join the Fight</a> against sex trafficking and child exploitation.
We must stop living like it is someone else’s problem. It’s not. It’s here, and it’s exploding at a rate our communities are not prepared to handle.
No one can fight it alone. But together we can save lives and dismantle networks that exploit and harm children.
* * *
Derek Benner is proud to serve as the CEO of Our Rescue. Formerly the Chief Mission Officer, overseeing international and domestic Operations and Survivor Care teams, he brings expertise gained from a 30-year career in federal law enforcement that includes leading Homeland Security Investigations within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Derek led the creation of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, the first unified, inter-component coordination center for countering human trafficking.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.

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A pair of illegal immigrants lured a 13-year-old girl from her home in Rochester, New York, transporting her to a location outside of Chicago before federal authorities found her 10 days later.
The young girl was first reported missing on September 11, the U.S. Marshals Service <a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/news/press-release/us-marshals-find-missing-new-york-child-near-chicago-company-of-two-adult-males" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Monday. She was later seen in a security video meeting with three individuals before getting into a light-colored SUV with them.
<div id="attachment_928801" style="width: 1210px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-928801" class="wp-image-928801 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2195569552-scaled-e1748980771738.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800" />Credit: Photo by Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
The Rochester Police Department requested help locating the missing child from the U.S. Marshals, who determined that she had traveled to the Chicago area.
She ended up at an apartment complex in the 2300 block of West 119th Street in Blue Island, Illinois, where she was found in the company of an 18-year-old man and his father, both of whom were determined by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be illegal immigrants, according to the U.S. Marshals.
“The United States Marshals Service worked tirelessly to recover this endangered child from the predators who should have never been in this country to take her from the safety of her family and home. Our children deserve safe cities!” U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces S. Serralta said in a statement Monday.
Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor Immigration and Customs Enforcement responded to The Daily Wire&#8217;s requests for comment.

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Former Governor Martin O&#8217;Malley (D-MD) suggested that blue-state attorneys general could resort to filing state kidnapping charges against President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration over continued efforts to deport criminal illegal aliens and suspected gang members.
O&#8217;Malley spoke with MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow, arguing that it was &#8220;only a matter of time&#8221; before someone figured out how to most effectively weaponize the court system at the state level in order to curtail the Trump administration&#8217;s enforcement of federal immigration policy.
WATCH:
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🚨Fmr. MD Gov Martin O’Malley says “it’s a matter of time” before blue-state AG’s file kidnapping charges over ICE operations.
&quot;Attorney generals are going to play a critically important role in these days ahead, fighting this fascist moment in American history.&quot;
21% and… <a href="https://t.co/QgSX6knQCS">pic.twitter.com/QgSX6knQCS</a>
&mdash; Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1912173445875462552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I think the attorney generals play a really important role right now,&#8221; O&#8217;Malley said, throwing in all the Democrat talking points as he continued. &#8220;I think it&#8217;s only a matter of time before one of them figures out how to file state kidnapping charges against those that are abducting people who are in this country legally and sending them to this new concentration camp that Donald Trump laughs about having created in El Salvador.&#8221;
&#8220;Attorney generals are going to play a critically important role in these days ahead, fighting this fascist moment in American history,&#8221; he concluded.
O&#8217;Malley made no effort to square his argument with the fact that states cannot dictate federal immigration policy to the Executive Branch, nor did he explain how state kidnapping charges would prevent the U.S. State Department from revoking legal immigration status — as was done with Columbia University agitator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-rules-columbias-pro-hamas-agitator-mahmoud-khalil-can-be-deported" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mahmoud Khalil</a> — in cases of legal immigrants whose continued presence in the United States is at odds with foreign policy objectives.
O&#8217;Malley is not alone in his line of thinking, however. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA) said that Democrats in the House — along with Democrat Attorneys General across the country — continue to meet regularly in their efforts to use the courts as a weapon against Trump&#8217;s administration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
QUIET PART OUT LOUD: Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA) admits that House Democrats are meeting &quot;every single week behind the scenes&quot; with left-wing attorneys general to employ lawfare against President Trump&#39;s agenda. <a href="https://t.co/HBsjVDg8Ip">pic.twitter.com/HBsjVDg8Ip</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1912162432010612912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bondi-says-the-real-constitutional-crisis-is-judicial-lawfare-not-trump-exec-actions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pam Bondi</a> has addressed the situation in interviews as well, stating that the Democrats&#8217; repeated use of district court judges and blanket injunctions represent the true &#8220;constitutional crisis.&#8221;
&#8220;Since January 20th, we’ve had over 170 lawsuits filed against us. That should be the constitutional crisis right there,” Bondi stated. “Fifty injunctions, they’re popping up every single day, trying to control his executive power, trying to control where he believes our tax dollars should be allocated.&#8221;

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