Various acts of ferocious crime have grown to form a major threat to Nigeria’s national security. These crimes include militancy, insurgency (a big menace in the country) and banditry which includes cattle rustling, armed robbery and kidnapping. Over the news, including social media, there are constant reported cases of missing persons in which many is related to Kidnapping. This case of kidnapping has been on a steady rise lately, a malicious fire that has spread round all the Geo-political zones in the county.

 

A threat to National security

Kidnapping is an organized crime and a big challenge to National security. Before, it used to be a fear for the rich and affluent in the society; however, as it is lately said, no one is safe right now in Nigeria. Resistance to kidnapping often results in the deaths of victims. Nigeria under this administration is gradually becoming one of the dangerous places to live in the World.

 

In 2019, it was reported that there was average of seven kidnapping per day. This would have surely increased in 2021.

 

On Tuesday May 19, 2021, a Nigerian judge identified as Alhaji Husaini Sama’ila was kidnapped from inside a court in the northern state of Katsina, local media reported. The gunmen broke into Sharia Court in Bauren Zakat village in Safana Local Government Area at about 3pm on Tuesday and abducted the judge. This abduction comes as no surprise because Katsina state has been volatile in recent times to terrorism and banditry. Other dark spots for kidnappers are Maiduguri, Zamfara, Port-Harcourt, Ondo state and Lagos.

 

Lagos, Nigeria’s biggest state in terms of commercial activities has seen a surge in kidnap cases, some which results in ritual killings, while others resulting in demand for ransom. The esteemed and wealth concentrated places of Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki have been reported as dark spots used by these criminals both rich and poor.

 

Timeline of popular abductions in recent times:

2014, an unforgotten year, when the whole country was shaken to its foundation as a coordinated Boko Haram attack led to the kidnap of 276 schoolgirls in the northeastern town of Chibok. This was the largest one time abduction of people in the history of Nigeria and it garnered global outrage with a trending hash tag all over social media #BringBackOurGirls, under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

 

In 2015, the family of James Adichie – a renowned professor of statistics and father of award-winning novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – paid an undisclosed amount of ransom for his release following his kidnapping on a highway, also in southeastern Nigeria.

 

In 2017, authorities announced the arrest of Chukwudi Onuamadike, popularly known as Evans and often referred to as Nigeria’s “richest and most notorious kidnapper”. Police said ransom money was paid to him in “millions of dollars”, with some victims being kept for up to seven months “until the last penny is paid”.

 

In 2018, John Obi Mikel, the captain of Nigeria men’s national football team, received the news of his father’s abduction just a few hours before a crucial World Cup match against Argentina. Police later rescued his father following a shoot-out with the abductors in a forest in southeastern Nigeria.

 

In March 2021, 39 students from a Kaduna school, Federal College of Forestry Mechanization were kidnapped.

 

On 24 April 2021, gunmen kidnapped students from the Federal University of Agriculture in Makurdi, in Benue State.

 

Since December 2020, a total of 769 students have abducted in at least five school and other educational facilities, across northern Nigeria in at least five separate incidents.

 

Reasons for this recent Incessant Kidnap

Financial Gains / Business Enterprise:

According to a report by SB Morgen (SBM) Intelligence, a Lagos-based political risk analysis firm, at least $18.34m has been paid to kidnappers as ransom (mostly by families and the government) between June 2011 and March 2020. Experts say that the growing incidence of mass abductions of boys and girls in the Northern region are a result of a thriving kidnapping-for-ransom criminal enterprise.

 

Due to the financial crisis leading to poverty in the Nation and a means to survive, abductors has seen kidnapping for ransom as a good way of making money in huge and fast way. Experts believe these kidnappers target school children as well as women because the incentives behind securing their release are much higher. Also, men are always considered to be in much more position to possess the finances to secure the release of their wives and children.

 

Poor security strategy from the Government:

In the past, the Nigerian Government would have ordered security personnel to take down these nefarious criminals disturbing public peace. However, since the kidnappings spiked in December 2020, there have been no arrests or prosecutions. This lack of accountability from the Government, combined with the authorities’ failure to step up security and intelligence operations, contributes to a deep-rooted sense of mistrust among vulnerable citizens that puts them at odds with the government, analysts say.

 

In February 2021, Nigerian journalist Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani wrote for the BBC News, “The Nigerian government seems to have suggested that it can no longer be relied on to keep citizens safe.” This was in response to what the minister of defense said a week earlier, when he addressed communities that have suffered attacks by armed gangs: Defend yourselves, don’t just sit and be slaughtered like chickens. “We shouldn’t be cowards,” said Bashir Salihi Magashi, a retired major general. “I don’t know why people are running away… They should stand. Let these people know that even the villagers have the competence and capability to defend themselves.”

 

Statement like this from a Defense minister of a Nation like Nigeria only shows that the Nigerian Government poor stance on the issues of security.

 

Negotiations and Amnesty Schemes:

Another poor security measure being carried out mostly by state government is in the place of continuous dialogue with kidnappers. Social Critics opined that ‘ negotiations, amnesty schemes and impunity ’ end up encouraging criminal activity as abductors know it is to their advantage, as they will at least negotiate conditions for safety or even get paid huge ransoms.

 

In 2019, the governor of Zamfara, Bello Matawalle initiated a peace and reconciliation plan to bring the bandits who attack and kidnap villagers back home offering them jobs in place of kidnapping and banditry. In August 2019 over 300 kidnapped victims who were held captive waiting for the payment of ransom on their heads by family members were freed.

 

Citizens believe Government should focus on protecting citizens by beefing up security, instead of always negotiating with bandits.

 

Pattern of Kidnapping

The pattern of kidnapping comes in two folds depending on the kinds of kidnapping. There is the high level kidnap and low level kidnap.

 

High level Kidnap: This is a case in which elites, high net worth people, large number of people etc. are abducted and a ransom is placed on them for their release. Often, this is used for financial gains by the abductors or negotiate a favorably claim by these abductors.

 

Low Level Kidnap: This is a case in which citizens kidnapped are not the popular figures in the society. In many cases, the victims are killed mostly for ritual purposes. The case is very rampant in Lagos State

 

Solution to this Menace

Negotiation Strategy:

Nigeria is known to follow the footsteps of the UK and USA – in this case they should learn from these powerful countries and how they deal with terrorists and kidnappers. “Payments of terrorist ransoms is illegal under the UK Terrorism Act 2000 while the USA adheres to a strict No-Concessions policy on the payment of ransom”.

 

In March 2021, Mr Dickson Osajie, an international security expert in an interview with Al Jazeerain said, “Criminality must be eliminated, not mitigated; sadly, the government does not have the political will power in Nigeria to achieve that,”

 

He continued, “Bargaining with the enemy [the bandits] is a sign of weakness,” Osajie added. “Even if you want to bargain, do it from the side of strength by carrying out a risk analysis of what is happening, then you prioritise the risk by attending to each security threats as it comes.”

 

On Wednesday 20th May 2021, Nigeria senate discussed a bill to criminalize ransom payment with 15 years’ imprisonment as punishment for offenders. This was raised by an Eastern lawmaker, Senator Ezinwa Francis Onyewuchi who said, “Anyone who transfers funds, makes payment or colludes with an abductor, kidnapper or terrorist to receive any ransom for the release of any person who has been wrongfully confined, imprisoned or kidnapped is guilty of a felony and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than 15 years.”

 

He raised alarm that Kidnapping has become a fast and lucrative business, adding that, “it has now remained the most dangerous form of banditry in Nigeria and the most pervasive and intractable violent crime in the country.”

 

He lamented, “Kidnapping is on the increase in Nigeria and it is prevalent across all the geopolitical zones. Some blame the rise of this criminal activity on poverty, religion, politics, and deficiency of existing laws, unemployment, and connivance of security agents, corruption, and greed among others. Our unemployed youths are also turning out to kidnapping to get money (ransom) as a survival strategy”.

 

He posited further, “Whatever the reason, it is most obvious that kidnapping in Nigeria puts everyone at risk, the rich and the poor, old and young, male and female, foreigner or indigene, expatriate or non-expatriate, traditional rulers and religious leaders, among others”, he said.

 

Improve Country’s security:

Experts say the members of the country’s security agencies are overstretched, poorly paid and underequipped, while the police forces are largely centralized and unable to handle internal security challenges. Others have also criticized the government after it commended “repentant bandits” for playing a role in the recent release of Kankara schoolboys.

 

To this end, Government should strengthen our law enforcement agencies, pay attention to the welfare of security officials and train them in the latest sophisticated security strategies and intelligence to match these criminals and offenders.

 

Government should develop poverty alleviation programs and provide employment opportunities

 

Safety Measures

Every citizen should note the following points which serve as a means to prevent being a victim:

 

• Avoid walking alone in solitary places, unknown territory.
• Be careful the private cars you board. This is a popular scheme in Lagos and victims are usually employees going to work in the early hours of the day on the Island.
• Board public buses from the Garage and not along high way. Be careful the vehicles you board on the high way.
• Keep a low profile and be careful of personal information you disclose on social media.
• Avoid places and buildings marked as danger zones used by these criminals.
• Always inform your family and trusted friends about your whereabouts.
• Be careful of job interviews especially those which you didn’t apply for. You should also always search online and ask people questions about addresses to be used for jib interviews.
• Raise an alarm in trouble or when you see another person in trouble that could lead to a kidnap.