The annual ritual that sees Nigerians, especially those from the eastern part of the country, travelling to their villages at Christmas, may suffer a blow this year as the increased wave of kidnapping across the country is raising panic levels.
Newspaper headlines, boldly announcing ransom and displaying accompanying photos of traumatised victims and family members, are sinking into the minds and imaginations of Nigerians, forcing many to take difficult decisions.
Obinna Nwankwo, a Lagos-based banker, is doubtful that he will make this year’s “pilgrimage”. Before now, he said, he often travelled home more than once a year. This year, he has already been home once. But he thinks that trip will be the last for a while. “The kidnapping is a security concern,” he told NEXT. “I don’t think I’ll be safe there.”
He doesn’t believe he is the only one at risk. He has extended his security considerations to his parents, compelling him to take a decision that, before now, might have been considered extreme. “I’ve moved them (to Lagos) so that they will be safe,” he said.
The kidnapping spree started in the Niger Delta, and was initially targeted at expatriate oil industry workers, generally deemed as lucrative targets for ransom, which were often paid by their employers. But as the supply of expatriates dwindled, due to relocations by the oil companies, the attacks spread, not only geographically, but also in scale, to include wealthy locals – chiefs, politicians and their family members.
In recent times, northern Nigeria has witnessed a series of unprecedented high-profile kidnapping. Today, it is generally believed, especially in cities and towns in eastern Nigeria, that any display of relative wealth, such as the presence of air-conditioning in a car, is enough to make a person a target.