Editorials Opinion and Analysis
Kidnap, complacency and the costs
By Chief's Briefs Senior Analyst - April 14 2010
Recently we published an editorial piece in Chief's Briefs about a previously unknown threat to expatriates in Nigeria which could increase their risk of kidnapping. It generated a lot of feedback by email and several readers suggested it be shared with a wider audience.
We have edited the original slightly but the message is the same. The current comfort zone most people are in when it comes to kidnapping is a false one. And complacency on all levels could cost us dearly.
If you are reading this now - you are not a hostage. But we think your hands may already be tied.
Think of this… Hundreds of foreign and local oil workers have been kidnapped in the Niger Delta since 2006. Many have been released unharmed, but fatalities are still sadly recorded. And unfortunately more and more of them are involving Nigerian victims every single day.
Just think back to the recent incident where two employees of NNPC were found dead after being held captive. See Chief’s Briefs 24.03.10
Recently we also told you about the abduction of two employees of Total in two separate incidents. Again, both victims were Nigerian. See Chief’s Briefs 01.04.10. And both were quietly minding their own business and not on the company clock when the incidents occurred. Total are yet to tell us if either of these men have been released. In fact they have not told us anything at all.
These are just two examples of local abduction incidents. We now no longer have the space or time or ability to track each and every one. The press tend to prefer when the victims are higher profile foreigners. So many families are now forgotten.
Then last weekend we saw two separate incidents result in six expatriates being abducted. One uniformed police officer was shot and killed in one of the raids. See Chief's Briefs 12.04.10. Is his family also to be ignored?
So we felt that a little rant on this subject was needed.
As you all know – Initially, only oil workers in the region were targeted for kidnapping but the trend has taken hold and now everyone from politicians to professors and children to chiefs are being taken with alarming regularity.
As already said, these stories used to make front page news in both national and international media. But after a while, the stories became so common place that they were just not considered sexy enough by many newspapers who seemed more eager to focus on their advertorial content rather than their editorial one.
And as for relying on individual companies to keep us up to date… their press statements are now often being influenced by corporate accountants who are more eager to control the cash flow rather than the information one. For the bean counters out there it is now all about staff recruitment, staff retention and keeping the share holders happy. Allowing employees to make educated, informed choices about their own safety and well being now seems to be secondary to getting the jobs done and the payment cheques signed.
Most expats are aware of what risks are out there and most companies are proactive enough to put at least some measures in place to make sure that they avoid becoming involved in a ransom negotiation. Cos let’s face it folks – for most spread sheet bottom line readers – this is all about the insurance costs and the facilitating fees to get you freed.
BUT… as more and more Nigerians become victims as the expats remain locked up tightly by their employers… is it not possibly time that all responsible companies start advising ALL of their staff, expat and national, on ways to protect themselves and their loved ones?
AND… for the bean counters and spread sheet readers – is this not a time for them to be reminded that the money they are spending on keeping their people safe is in fact being utelized to its maximum advantage? Because currently we are seeing some cost cutting measures by some companies that we fear they might regret some day.
Kidnap numbers for foreigners in the country are down because procedures to protect them have worked. Remove the protection and the problem will re-present itself. Right? Seems obvious really. So if we can see that - why can't they?
None of us like being told what to do and when to do it. No one wants to be supervised or monitored or escorted every single day. But in this Nigeria at this time – it is necessary. More so now than ever.
Although many recently have become complacent on the subject of kidnapping – we feel the weekend’s events warranted us revisiting this subject. It is still a very real and present danger and really must be addressed.
Think of the British Foreign Office’s travel advice for the Niger Delta as an example. In it they warn against any and all travel to the region and say that those who do journey there are doing so at their own risk.
So let us translate that out of Diplomat Speak. What they are really saying is:
‘You are on your own as we have identified the risk and don’t want to be seen as unable to get you out when you do get taken – which we fully expect to happen. You have been warned and we will say we told you so.’
So….. finally on the kidnap subject – the ONLY reason that expat incident numbers are down is that the potential targets are now much tougher to access. The resultant increase in national abduction incidents highlights that as a money making venture, kidnapping WILL continue. And like it or not – an expatriate will always be seen as a more valuable asset than a local.
AND… remember this….
As local abduction cases are now so common they can’t be counted – the risk is now even greater than it was when hostage taking was only used as a tool by militant gangs for publicity gains. It has come far since those days. It is now seen as a cash cow for anyone and everyone in the country. PLUS – with the common criminal element of it – a shoot first, kidnap later approach is now much more likely as the bad boys have nothing to lose and no political or personal agenda to promote.
It is now just all about the money. So…. by extension, the risk of injury or fatality is now much higher. Are we getting through to you yet?
We again advise that all procedures you have in place to minimize risk to not only your expatriate employees but also your national ones are reviewed and regularly adjusted to meet and match increased exposure. We advise that you regularly instruct staff on journey management procedures and defensive driving techniques as well as instruct them on how to make their homes more secure, keeping their families safer. We recommend that a suggestion of some do’s and don’ts might also be useful in helping local and expat employees understand some small things that could make a big difference.
If you need some ideas on this then try reading this editon of Chief’s Briefs. It has more than a few tips and tricks that you should definitely be integrating into your daily lives and work routines.
The same advice should now be followed nationwide. This is no longer a problem restricted to the Niger Delta. This is now a national pastime.
But in the end - don't forget your personal security's latest enemy. It is not MEND or criminal activity. Your newest concern does not come armed with a gun. Instead your threat may just be inside your own company and it is called 'The Accountants'.
Many of us now live and operate in a 'security bubble' that western security firms have been forced to create. As we are now mostly on top of the problem, we are moving around more safely. BUT... That bubble may burst. To maintain it you need to continue to provide the services that created it. Love them or hate them, take the security companies away and we go right back to where we started.
We think the accountants need to put that on their spreadsheet and see how it all adds up. Or is the value of a barrel of oil greater than that of a man?
