Pervasive incidents of kidnapping, together with the latest one involving the now-rescued Mrs. Folashade Odumosu proceed to intensify fears and uncertainties throughout Nigeria’s city centres in addition to within the hinterlands. Whereas the police and different legislation enforcement businesses deserve commendation for promptly rescuing among the abductees, the frequency of the fee of the heinous crime signifies that every one is just not nicely in society; and that the federal government, which has duty for the safety and welfare of the residents, must do much more to discharge its obligation.
The latest abduction of Mrs Odumosu, spouse of retired Assistant Inspector Common (AIG) of Police, Hakeem Odumosu in Arepo, Obafemi Owode Native Authorities Space of Ogun State speaks to the endemic nature of insecurity and the precarious scenario confronting Nigerians regardless of standing. The priority concerning the security of Nigerians at residence and in transit continues to develop at the same time as related businesses look like recording considerable successes in curbing terrorism and different types of banditry.
Whereas a number of syndicates have been apprehended, episodes of kidnapping and demand for ransom stay unabated and proceed to function as a serious safety problem. In December 2024, Zakari Mijinyawa, director, Authorized Service and Coordinator of the Strategic Communications Inter-agency Coverage Committee (SCIPC) within the Workplace of Nationwide Safety Adviser (ONSA) confirmed that no fewer than 7,967 hostages have been rescued throughout the nation.
Based on the Nationwide Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Crime Expertise and Safety Notion Survey (CESPS) 2024 revealed that Nigerians paid N2.23 trillion as ransom to kidnappers between Could 2023 and April 2024 inside a interval that no fewer than 2,235,954 victims of kidnapping instances have been recorded throughout the nation.
The report which profiled 1,420,307 instances of kidnapping within the northwest, 317,837 instances within the north-central and 110,432 instances within the southeast, little doubt, posits clear indicators for nationwide emergencies. It’s certainly worrisome that the dimension of the safety scenario within the nation stays precarious, contemplating that 65 per cent of households of kidnapped victims are confronted with the onerous alternative of paying ransom estimated at a median of N2.67 million per kidnapping incident. The safety scenario within the rural communities may readily be described as brutish with over 70 per cent of kidnapping incidents being recorded.
It needs to be evident that grave hazard lies forward if the spate of kidnapping and fee of ransom is allowed to fester for too lengthy. It’s not acceptable that households and family of victims ought to proceed to pay ransom to make sure the security and freedom of their family members within the face of the seeming helplessness or incapacity of safety operatives.
Kidnapping will stay engaging as long as perpetrators succeed with the ransom demand. The results of widespread kidnapping and fee of ransom in rural communities usually are not solely far-reaching however could be too expensive to think about in the long term. The necessity for pressing intervention to stem the tide of kidnapping within the rural communities that are predominantly agrarian is underscored by the looming threats of meals insecurity amid ramified multidimensional poverty within the nation.
A scenario the place farmers in rural communities are left with no choice however to succumb to fee of ransom as a situation for finishing up reputable actions ought to by no means have been allowed to occur. Whereas the authorities on the federal and state ranges ought to intensify investments in safety infrastructure and technique in addition to the welfare of safety personnel, it needs to be crucial to acknowledge that the function of the native authorities in providing complementary assist to the safety wants on the communities can’t be overestimated.
Greater than ever, the native authorities because the closest to the grassroots should play key roles in mobilising and enhancing assets and personnel to consolidate neighbourhood safety. It needs to be instructive that many of the perpetrators of kidnapping readily discover the terrains of rural communities as haven exactly on account of the prevailing gaps within the safety networks throughout the hinterlands.
It’s due to this fact anticipated that the fiscal breather just lately granted the native authorities with the prospects of direct allocation from the federation account will translate into precedence consideration in enhancing the safety wants of the agricultural populace and in addressing the problem of kidnapping to a substantial degree. Governments on the nationwide and sub-national ranges are anticipated to bolster synergies with paramilitary businesses and native vigilante teams by offering assist by way of tools, coaching and subventions.
The function of vital stakeholders on the degree of the communities and platforms of civil societies has turn out to be extra germane in gentle of the prevailing scenario. In the end, the collective resolve of the folks needs to be the driving power of the collaborative efforts aimed toward guaranteeing the safety of lives and property inside their domains.
To this extent, the authorities shouldn’t be unmindful of over-dependence on a kinetic method in curbing the virulent actions of terrorists and bandits. Whereas terrorists and bandits extra, typically than not, exacerbate kidnapping, sole reliance on armed fight wouldn’t ship the much-expected consequence or be simple to maintain in the long term. There’s a want due to this fact for reevaluation of nationwide safety structure in direction of recommitting layers of safety equipment to the urgency of curbing rising incidents of kidnapping.
No doubt, the destructive influence of kidnapping on Nigeria’s financial system is gigantic and debilitating. The search for harnessing required incentives to drive overseas direct investments would stay an unfulfilled dream if incidents of kidnapping turn out to be hydra-headed. No investor could be assured about doing enterprise the place the security of lives can’t be assured or when fee of ransom to safe freedom turns into a lifestyle.
