The Menace Of Kidnapping And Other Security Issues —Akunna Ejim   

Akunna Ejim

Nigeria is a great country. There is no place on the face of this earth that is quite like Nigeria. The people have a vibrant and rich culture and there is such a mix and variety that it is always exciting to observe the cultural peculiarities of the different peoples. All it takes to co-exist peacefully is respect for other people and an understanding that even though we speak different languages, wear different clothes, observe different traditions, fundamentally, we are equal under our creator and under the law which binds us together.

When there is perceived injustice on the part of one group over another, then bad blood begins to build up. Nigeria is unbelievably blessed. To the North, South East and West, there exists an abundance of rich, arable land, minerals and people. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa; it is nearly twice the size of its nearest rival, Egypt; that in itself is a resource to be harnessed for building the nation.

Why then should there be any talk about a failure to grow even now, in the 21st century when other countries are seriously making preparations to become citizens of other worlds, like Mars and even the Moon. Why should insecurity be so rampant in Nigeria, adding salt to the injury of chronic lack of power supply, solid infrastructure, good education, and a bastion of joblessness and the ubiquitous corruption which has seeped into the very fabric of the society?

In 2006, some militants in Port Harcourt decided that they would use kidnapping as a method to press home their demands and like wildfire, every unscrupulous character joined the band wagon, not for any cause, just for pure profit. Yes, kidnapping is big business, it has gotten to the point that even children who have no business learning about such activities now see kidnapping, just like 419, as a means to get rich quick. In my hometown, someone brought a case before the traditional ruler alleging that his 15-year-old niece had conspired with her boyfriend and some other parties to kidnap his son, for the princely sum of N30,000. Apparently, the sharing of the money didn’t go down well with one of the conspirators, who then decided to turn tattle-tale. What has this country come to when even relatives now see each other as a source for making a quick buck? People have now become very paranoid about security; nobody wants to disclose their itinerary, even to their closest friends. Grown men sneak in and out of their homes like thieves so as not to arouse the interest of kidnappers. Others who can afford it hire armed escorts or thugs to guard them, but even this has been shown to be a big failure because people who do this stand out like a sore thumb and make potential kidnappers conclude that there must be something there; hence, the need for extra security. I mean, even the convoys of governors are not spared. If hoodlums can be so brazen as to attack the convoy of a typical Nigerian governor with the legion of armed mobile policemen serving as escorts then surely, the issue of insecurity has become a really big problem that must be addressed without any delay.

These days, nefarious characters send call cards as advance warning of their intent to come and rob a place or kidnap a person. My roommate in school told me about how thieves laid siege to all the houses on their street in Festac Town for three days. According to her, they started from the very beginning of the street and robbed the residents as they pleased, even as all calls to the police proved futile. The next day, they continued from where they left off and on the third day, after robbing her and her husband of all the money, wedding gifts and even rings from their wedding that weekend, they proceeded to the home of her neighbour, who was waiting for them. The lights were blazing, he had left all the doors and windows wide open and had even prepared a feast for them and laid it out on the dining table. When they cautiously entered the man’s house, they saw him sitting in a chair facing the door. He calmly got up and welcomed them to his home. He told them to come in and make themselves at home since he had been waiting for their arrival. The thieves had never encountered anyone like the man before in their entire thieving career and they fled for their lives, believing that the man must be some kind of a shaman.

As bad as the security situation is in Nigeria as a whole, it is infinitely worse in the East. In Aba, the situation is so critical that robbers not only inform banks of their intention to come and rob them, but actually go ahead to fulfil their promise. This has led to the shutdown of banks for fear of attack and in protest of robbery attacks on First Bank plc and Fidelity Bank plc.

So whose responsibility is it to ensure the safety of citizens? Should the citizens be forced to take the law into their own hands by providing their own security? Many streets employ the services of armed vigilante to guard their streets, after they have erected gates in the entrance to many of these places. Irate mobs visit any hoodlum unfortunate enough to be caught in the act of stealing, even a handset, with their own brand of instant justice which sometimes involves the untimely death of such a person. The solution lies with the government and also the people. The truth of the matter is that some people would rather steal, kidnap and engage in 419 than engage in honest labour. However, if the government starts from the grassroots to provide education and other training for a means of livelihood, provides the basic amenities, stops marginalising people in their own country by ensuring an equitable distribution of resources and the proceeds from such resources and, finally, trains and equips the police force, then things will improve.