Kidnappings, banditry, killings: Holes in Nigeria’s security deepen

Security is an integral part of good government. More so, whether in Nigeria or elsewhere in the world. There is little doubt that our security agents are doing an excellent job trying to keep an eye on those Nigerians suspected to be troublemakers.

It’s all too certain that there are holes in the nation’s security architecture. Every successful assault on our security system creates a crisis of confidence among the people. That is why the nation’s security outfit should inspire confidence by being ahead in the art of information gathering.

The National Security Objective of incumbent president, Bola Ahmed Tunubu – stressing that it would focus on ensuring security, justice, and democratic prosperity through state power – has not been achieved. The President promised to support the military as he commended them for protecting the territorial integrity of the nation.

While acknowledging the commitment of the immediate-past administration in enhancing the combat readiness of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the President pledged to “pick up the pace,” by providing the necessary support to the military.

Reocurring insecurity has deterred development of the Nation by making a mockery of our national security architecture. For instance, hoodlums believed to be Creek dwellers reportedly abducted 10 persons including four children in Isua, JK2 community in Engenni, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The victims, six women and four children with them were taken when the former had gone to their farms to harvest crops to avoid destruction from the impending floods.

A source in the local government simply identified as Ezuwa told journalists that the hoodlums came from a nearby community called Oshobele, after crossing the River.

He stated that the development has left villagers and residents terrified, describing the kidnap as one, out of the many security issues confronting the community.

Also, suspected Boko Haram insurgents  attacked a convoy of vehicles carrying goods and passengers in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State, killing five people and abducting seven women.

The attack took place on the security-escorted convoy of commuters and good-transporting vehicles very close to the Nigeria-Cameroon border town of Banki in the LGA at about 2:30 pm.

Social vices, killings and other atrocities committed by these ‘unrepentant criminals’ have been a bone of contention that requires serious concern. Many of these occurrences have gone ‘unreported and under-reported’ as journalists cannot be everywhere, while some neglecting for a fetching story.

Last week, the Kano State Police Command arrested 25-year-old Rahama Sulaiman for allegedly kidnapping her six-year-old daughter and demanding a N3 million ransom from her husband.

The hotbed of banditry and killings used to be North-West, South-South of the geopolitical zone, where well-armed militants made it a sideshow to their insurgency and sabotage of oil facilities, since it was also lucrative. Kidnapping moved on quickly, berthing next in the South-East region, where it rose to a very dangerous level, before spreading its tentacles to other parts of the country.

Today, impressionable youths are frequently kidnapping people for ransom while deranged ritual killers are spreading their bloody trade across the country. Regrettably, there has been no sustained police response against the mess, allowing kidnappers to operate with impunity and abduct people at will. Sometimes, they even kill their victims.

The homeless are taking refuge in internally displaced persons’ camps scattered across the northern parts of the country. Intriguingly, children and the aged are also affected.

This evil enterprise is now predominant in the North-western states of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Niger. Plateau and Benue states in the North-Central and Taraba in the North-East also fall into this malevolent loop. In Yerima’s prognosis, the country can end the mayhem “if it comes up with a rehabilitation programme,” preceded by a successful negotiation with the bandits.

It should be noted though, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has announced plans to establish a Special Intervention Squad to deal with security threats in the country.

Egbetokun disclosed this when he led the police force management team on a courtesy call to Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State during weekend at Government House. He solicited support from the Kano State Government in order to succeed with Kano being one of the pilot states.

He said, “Your Excellency, I want to inform you that the present police management has decided to set up a squad called the Special Intervention Squad to intervene quickly in a crisis.

“Where there is a crisis or violent crime in Nigeria we have a dedicated squad that can easily be deployed to take care of those challenges,” he said.

Above all, the strength of bandits lies in the influx of small and light weapons into the country through the Sahelian region spanning Chad, Niger and Benin Republic, helped by Nigeria’s porous borders with these countries. Ominously, arms smuggling through the ports has been increasing in recent years. These sources of small arms and light weapons must be identified and blocked.

Meanwhile, kidnapping can be curbed in Nigeria when there is a good standard of living, provision of employment for the youths, stiffer penalties for culprits, good leadership at all levels of government, promulgation of relevant laws and their enforcement, proper data of immigrants and foreign nomads in the country, and sound moral and religious teachings. These will help reduce the unfortunate act of kidnapping in Nigeria.

To combat kidnapping, government must first, ensure effective border control. Second, there should be provision of a reliable and unique identification number of each individual such as National ID card, driver’s license, and voter cards for tracking social benefits and other identification purposes.

Tackling holes in Nigeria’s security can be achieved by dealing with corruption among Nigerian law enforcement agencies. If the corruption within and among the few Nigerian law enforcement agencies is tackled, the problem of kidnapping for ransom is half dealt with. This will in turn restore the confidence in Nigerians by feeding law enforcement agencies the necessary information to tackle kidnapping for ransom.