Kidnapping, Insecurity and all of us

“My family members, especially my father will be happy if I’m kidnapped today; at least he’ll be fraught with fewer mouths to feed.”

This was a response to one of my posts on the Facebook. Can you blame this friend of mine? The political and social conditions of our environment has conditioned us to believe that only the rich, the top-echelon, the bourgeoisies and the petty-bourgeoisies need security. But the recent spate of kidnapping and hostage-taking that is sweeping the entire country has kept everyone on his toes as there’s now a shift in paradigm as to what national security is all about and for whom it’s meant.

Kidnapping, there’s no doubt started on the shores, creeps, waters, and sand ways of the Niger-Delta area. Ask any Nigerian, they’ll tell you so. The area used to be synonymous with hostage-taking until the militant later recourse to open confrontation to drive in their point. At the infant stage of kidnapping in the Niger-Delta area, the targets were mainly expatriates- Italians, Filipinos, Americans, German- who work with various oil companies. The militants used kidnapping to drive home their point. But gradually, hostage-taking degenerated into an enterprise of immense complexity; it suddenly became a money making business and prominent people were even believed to be part of the business as they mobilized militant youths to kidnap for pecuniary gains. Our leaders, at this time still sat in akimbo as nothing serious was done to mitigate the activities of the kidnappers. After all, none of the top government officials ever fall a victim at that time

With the unimaginable abduction of Dr. Chris Ngige on July 10, 2003 while in office, the scope of victims of kidnapping was expanded to accommodate political office holders. Many Nigerians never believed that government officials can suffer that kind of traumatic incident. Though many commentators were of the opinion that Dr. Chris’ abduction was politically motivated, yet one cannot ignore the financial ransom that was demanded and perhaps paid before he was released. The same thing could be said of the kidnap of Pa Simeon Soludo, the father of the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the People’s Democratic Party’s gubernatorial candidate of Anambra State. Several other kidnapping were political motivated or seems so but one thing is certain, ransom is equally demanded and paid.

Recently too, the Nollywood industry has become a fertile ground where kidnappers are planting their seeds of destruction. First, it was Peter Edochie one of the most respected Nollywood actors. Initially, I thought with the kind of authority and power Edochie exhume whenever he acts films he’ll not be able to be intimidated by his abductors but whenever on is in the hands of gun carriers, one has to submit his erudition, intellectualism and oratory. If it were movie, it wouldn’t have been possible for Edochie to be kidnapped.

What about Nkem Owoh (Osofia), the goddess of comedy film in Nigeria? When I got the news I concluded that kidnappers lack the sense of homour and wanted to have be entertained by Osofia in dungeon! Ransom was demanded.

Keen observers of kidnapping and hostage taking in Nigeria would agree with me that two forms exist. There’s economic kidnapping which is strictly for money. There’s political kidnapping which may a times in the form of economical kidnapping but primarily for political gains. But whichever form it may be, somebody life is usually at jeopardy and ransom is always demanded. But it’s an indication of a failed structures be it polical, social, cultural or religious. If all the necessary structures are not put in place time will come that it will seep into all corners of Nigerian society if it has not happened yet.

Some Governors and Houses of Assembly at different time have recommended death sentence to kidnappers. To me, no penalty is too big for any man who abducts his fellow being for a ransom. But is there any justification if pot shamefully calls kettle black? What about political kidnappers who have been sabotaging the economic interests of this country? What about those leaders who hold our national treasury to ransom with all impunity? What’s their penalty? A situation where by few minority perpetually takes the advantage of the disadvantaged and handicapped majority, kidnapping becomes a retaliatory repercussion to deal with those in power. Its dog eats dog scenario, only the fittest survives.



What are the areas of intervention? Of course, Nigerians and all her leaders are well abreast of those grey areas that have been giving us bad name among the comity of nations. Leaders at all levels should embrace good governance for kidnapping or hostage-taking is a hallmark of flaws and defect in the social and political structures of our society. The Nigerian Police should be well equipped technically and morally to fight saboteurs and kidnappers for as it is now, kidnappers are more confident than the police. Government should provide job opportunities to her citizenry whom have found economic solace in hostage taking due to joblessness. Kidnapping and insecurity is not a class thing, it affects every Nigerian irrespective of economic status. Let’s come together to fight terrorism in its simplest form.