THE warning by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to relatives and friends of kidnapped victims to stop paying ransom to abductors for the release of their loved ones is generating controversies, amidst the unabated incidents of banditry and kidnappings across the country.
The NSA gave the warning while handing over about 60 victims, who were abducted from various communities across Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) but were rescued following a successful operation led by the One Division of the Nigerian Army and supported by other security and intelligence agencies.
Ribadu’s warning was in the advancement of the Federal Government’s position that ransom payment emboldens the kidnappers and it is one of the reasons the business is thriving in the country.
However, many relatives of kidnapped victims, including high-profile individuals and officials, have ignored the warning and persisted in bargaining and offering money to have their loved ones home safely and on time.
The recent case that jolted many citizens involved Brigadier-General Maharazu Tsiga (rtd), who was kidnapped from his Katsina residence and spent about two months in captivity before both serving and retired officers’ rallied friends and acquaintances to raise millions of naira through Crow funding, to secure his release.
Like similar incidents of abduction for ransom, Tsiga was held up in a humiliating condition while negotiation was on. Both the victim, Tsiga, and those seeking his release were at the mercy of the kidnappers while the negotiation lasted.
The position being canvassed by the government appears inconsiderable in the face of the inability of the security agencies to guarantee the safe return of abductors. Many analysts have viewed the suggestion or warning by Ribadu as a clear case of hypocrisy as no sane Nigerian will allow his or her relation to languish in the custody of abductors.
In the past few months, incidents of banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery have pervaded parts of the country and solutions have been suggested depending on whether the perpetrators are Fulani herdsmen, terrorists, or bandits.
The latest development is that kidnappers can invade homes, roads, farms, or even market squares to take their victims. Worst still, those living in presumably secured estates are not safe, as bandits have also invaded such scenarios to kidnap people.
An Africa-focused market and security intelligence firm, SB Morgen Intel in its report titled “Grim Reaping: Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry”, released last October revealed that more than 7,000 Nigerians were kidnapped within one year and as much as N11bn paid as ransom.
Unfortunately, the conditions that triggered the raging cases of kidnapping as the desire to make quick money, the unemployment rate, the effect of corruption, etc still subsist and inch deeper by the day.
Incidentally, the Federal Government appears to be handicapped in taming the monster. Nigerians expected the government to demonstrate ingenious, proactive, and audacious measures in handling the situation.
Paying a ransom is a demonstration of a lack of confidence in the government as the people are desperate to have their relations home. Unless otherwise proven, Nigerians would be reluctant to listen to the advice of the federal government on payment of ransom.
Therefore, we too consider Ribadu’s advice as unrewarding and request the federal government to initiate far-reaching measures to save Nigerians from the menace of kidnappers. This can be done through the implementation of viable economic policies, employment of intelligence gathering approach in crime fighting, improvement in quality of education through funding and free education, cutting allowances earned by political office holders, checking proliferation of arms, allowing states to implement anti-grazing laws, and implement the laws on kidnapping which stipulate death sentence for kidnappers, etc.
Above all, the Federal Government should consider the proposal by eminent security experts who have suggested self-defence in cases of unlawful violence as enshrined in Section 33(2) of Nigeria
On their part, we expected Nigerians to take steps that could guarantee their safety by being security conscious at all times, reporting incidents of kidnapping to security agents on time, empowering and using vigilantes to secure community bushes, report suspicious movements within your vicinity, support government policies on community policing and pass information to security agents on time.
Kidnapping is one of the hydra-headed vices hunting the country and the government must go beyond the rhetoric of cautioning against ransom and initiate measures to curb it.
