Escalating Kidnappings: Declare State Of Emergency On National Security – CCC Demands

The Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, sounded the alarm on Nigeria’s escalating kidnapping crisis and tasked the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency to address the national security threat.

The CCC specifically noted that the kidnapping epidemic has evolved into a lucrative industry, with criminal groups and terrorist organizations adopting it as a primary source of revenue.

It said that even more disturbing is the fact that kidnapping is being used as a distraction to mask other chains of criminality including illegal mining, organ harvesting, ritualism, cannibalism, skull mining, saying that it has been established from the account of freed victims that some kidnappers harvest and sell the organs of victims whose families could not afford to pay ransom to ritualists.

The CCC challenged the security forces to justify the huge expenses by government in the security sector by producing visible results in their fight against insecurity.

It particularly urged the Government to take swift and decisive action to reverse the current trend and restore peace, security and stability across the regions.

These were contained in a statement by the Chairman of the CCC, Major General Chris Olukolade (rtd), in which the CCC said that despite security measures, the trend has deepened insecurity and paved the way for other violent crimes and therefore expressed concern that the situation will degenerate into a crisis if left unchecked, endangering innocent lives and undermining national security.

The CCC suggested greater responsibility and accountability from the security forces, stressing that henceforth, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and other related Unit Commanders of security service should be held directly responsible for incidences of kidnapping in their respective areas of responsibility.

It said that the measure would incentivize local law enforcement to take proactive steps that will prevent such incidents, rather than merely reacting to them after the fact.

The Centre noted that recent incidents include the killing of a traditional ruler in Sokoto Sokoto State, the abduction of 20 medical students who were later freed, and the prolonged captivity of Dr. Ganiat Popoola, a medical doctor.

The CCC noted that it was only when the news of the death of the Emir broke that government officials began to talk tough and issue directives, adding that more saddening was the report that days after the death of the traditional ruler in the hands of his merciless abductors, the bandits regrouped, stormed communities in the same axis and reportedly abducted not less than 150 people, saying that those folks are still in the hands of the bandits.

The chairman of the Centre therefore recommended a multi-faceted approach to combat kidnapping, including significant investment in technology, greater responsibility and accountability from security forces, and addressing underlying socio-economic factors.

It also prescribed a coordinated national response, involving strengthened security agency capacity, deepened synergy, and greater collaboration between federal, state, and local governments.

The CCC particularly called on the international community to support Nigeria’s efforts to combat kidnappings and urged the government to act swiftly to prevent a national crisis.

According to General Olukolade; “The story of the late Emir of Gobir and his community, the 20 medical students who were abducted on their way to Enugu (but later freed) as well as that of Dr Ganiat Popoola, a medical doctor who has spent about eight months in the abductors’ den (doctors are currently on nationwide warning strike to protest her prolonged captivity), are the sad depictions of the reality of worsening insecurity and unsatisfactory response at the three tiers of government since security is everyone’s business.

“As of today, there are indeterminable number of reported and unreported hapless Nigerians in the hands and mercy of kidnappers in various forests and fortresses across the country.

“Nigerians are no longer safe in their own country. They are not safe along the highways, they are not safe on the streets, they are not safe in schools, in farms, in churches nor mosques; not even in the sanctuary of their homes as kidnappers have laid siege everywhere!

“As of today, there are indeterminable number of reported and unreported hapless Nigerians in the hands and mercy of kidnappers in various forests and fortresses across the country.

“It is quite alarming the frequently reported cases of abductions on the highways, schools and places of worship which is a clear indication that kidnapping is gradually becoming a lucrative business model for criminal elements.

“Furthermore, we would like to once again stress the importance of addressing the underlying socio-economic factors that contribute to the kidnapping crisis and indeed other insecurity plaguing the country. This include implementing economic empowerment programs in vulnerable communities, as well as improving access to education and healthcare, to reduce the appeal of criminal activities among the youth.

“The Centre prescribing a coordinated national response to the kidnapping crisis. This involves not only strengthening the capacity of security agencies and deepening synergy between and among them but also fostering greater collaboration between federal, state, and local governments, to able to get on top of the situation.

“Time is of the essence. The government must act now to prevent a national crisis,” the CCC stressed.