Kidnapping: Building synergy to tackle spread of aggression in the South-East 

Insecurity recently has left, in Nigeria, waving atmosphere of disturbances. Panic from fear of various security threats have continued to form sensations of absence of safety. While the North have been known in about a decade to be engrossed with the scourge of terrorism and insurgency, it is now apparent that the infectious flight of these aggression is not now peculiar to the region. Recently, other zones of the Federation are now known to be experiencing tough times from aggression of divergent patterns. Records have shown aggression are assuming their localised patterns within zones of the Federation, and even more narrowly down, within States and local communities.

The waves of insecurity in the South have been known to be divergent, even within zones of the region. The South-east, recently, has now been known for aggression with the operation of mischievous elements, obliviously tagged “unknown gunmen.” While the heat of secessionist agitations, recently aggravated with campaigns of self determination is having its reflections, the manifestations of illegitimate criminalities of various kinds, even with attacks on State facilities, is growing wild. Much disturbing, kidnapping which though cannot be said to be a nascent phenomenon to the zone, has assumed a turbulent dimension with rising aggression, largely unchecked. It now appears that calculated targets at Very Important Persons (VIP), have been taking reflections recently. Such accounts, have recorded killings and kidnappings of VIPs. While certain of such operations have been noted to carry divergent motives – some having straight cut killings, others kidnap-for-ransom, some others have also had mixed agenda, while cases of unfortunate and ununintended mishaps have accompanied some of the operations which may not necessarily have killing as the main agendum, but had unintended incursions that informed unexpected losses.

On Sunday, May 29, 2022, was the distasteful report of the abduction of the Prelate of the Methodist Church, Nigeria, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu. The cleric was abducted along Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia, alongside, the Methodist Bishop of Owerri, Rt. Rev. Dennis Mark and the Prelate’s Chaplain, by unidentified gunmen. Reports revealed the clergymen were abducted in the afternoon while they were on their way from a programme in the council area.

The attack on gatekeeping stakeholders with key influence on societal institutions is a clear threat against the fabric of the society, and a flagrant display of mischief. The case of this abominable act occurred, barely two days after the Prelate, on May 27, 2022, charged Nigerians on the significance to vote wisely in the 2023 General elections. The prelate who spoke when he was hosted by the Archdiocese of Lagos Mainland, which is also part of a seven days farewell tour to round up his tenure in the church was quoted: “I have been telling Nigerians, first, get your Permanent Voters‘ Cards (PVC) and don’t be nonchalant, you must vote, don’t be influenced by money, anybody that sells his vote because of money is stupid, we must all vote for people that count, those who can deliver. You may know them by their antecedents or you prayerfully select those you want to vote for. For me, I am not a party man, I don’t belong to any party, but I would like us to vote for credible people who will deliver, love Nigeria, be compassionate to Nigerians and ensure we have security in our country.”

The abduction of the Prelate is one abominable event in a countdown to his tenure. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in a reaction on Monday, May 30, 2022, had charged President Muhammadu Buhari, to facilitate the rescue of the Prelate and the two other clerics. In a statement signed by the Special Assistant, Media and Communications, to the CAN President, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, the apex Christian body condemning the act, lamented what lies before Nigerians if a cleric of such position could be kidnapped “like a three-year old baby on a major road without any resistance from the Police.” CAN also decried the Buhari administration must redeem its image of widespread insecurity by bringing sanity to the violence before leaving office.

The statement read partly,  “We condemn the abduction of the Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu Uche and two others in strong terms and call on President Muhammadu Buhari to give an express order to the security agencies to free them immediately and stop the incessant abduction of clerics and other innocent Nigerians forthwith. If a great Servant of God of Uche’s calibre could be kidnapped like a three-year old baby on a major road without any resistance from the Police, it speaks volume of what our security architecture has become. This is no more a country one can be proud. No reasonable government can continue to leave the citizens in a terrible state of insecurity as we are presently. This situation is not good for our nation at all. We, once again, call on President Muhammadu Buhari to do all within his powers to get these servants of God released very soon and unhurt. To those who are holding these Servants of God, we appeal to them to let go of them because they are not responsible for whatever reasons that made them criminals.”

Weaknesses of security agencies before these aggressions have remained perceivable. Reports have it that bandits have kidnapped at least 10 clerics in 2022 alone, as struggles of security agencies have not secured the rescue of any. Two unfortunate instances, recorded the killing of the victims by their captors.

The winds of aggression in the South-East, particularly, is growing wild. On Monday 30th, May, 2022, some yet-to-be-identified gunmen in the early hours invaded the premises of Anambra Broadcasting Service, Wada, Onitsha station, setting the building and other properties within the premises of the station ablaze.

Insecurity scourge in the South-East has gone beyond what can be handled with levity. The profile of aggressive operations have gone beyond individualised dimension to attacks on critical societal institutions, which the government is not spared from. Attacks on government facilities and other public properties have not ceased from the records of the aggression.

The targets of high ranking figures, particularly those holding significant offices that bear sacred responsibilities to sustaining institutional architectures of the society, are agendas that threaten the fabric of the society. It is important to note that the impacts of the aggression would not be limited only to the zone, but are such which bear far reaching consequences and infectious reflections to other parts of the Federation, even beyond the shores of the South. It would not be out of place to reflect on how the aggression of kidnap-for-ransom, which took-off in the South-South at the wake of the amnesty struggles, left an imprint which the entire Country is now having a fair share of.

The South-east has become engrossed with rising heat of such aggressions of secessionist movements and various criminalities which are taking shield under the cover of  agitations to perpetrate mischievous escapades to push illegitimate agenda with the acts of cruelty.

It has become sacrosanct that the Federal Government harmonise efforts with the State and local authority stakeholders in the zone to build synergistic architecture of responses to address the toughening aggression building up its fabrics in the zone, while pushing forth signals of discomforts against peaceful cohabitation and coexistence in the Federation.