THE reported abduction of Nollywood star actor and comedian, Nkem Owoh a.k.a. Osuofia on Tuesday, November 11, has added to the worsening wave of kidnapping, insecurity and criminality in the country. The incident has provoked fear among Nollywood actors and actresses who now see themselves as a special target for kidnappers. Kidnapping has become a daily affair all over the country. Pure criminality has been turned into a huge profit-making enterprise in a country that is clearly under siege. The kidnappers ask for ransom, and the victims and their relations pay promptly out of fear. With an inefficient national security system, kidnapping has suddenly become a vocation of choice for a sick minority.
Ironically, the Nigerian authorities are complacent about this ugly development. No one is sure of his or her safety anywhere whether in the hallowed chambers of oneÕs home or on the streets. Many of the cases are unreported. Kidnappers are wreaking havoc across the land. It is shocking to say the least that within three days, about seven persons were reportedly kidnapped in the last week, in different parts of the country.
For example, on November 9, unknown gunmen along the Suleja/Diko road in Niger State kidnapped the Permanent Secretary in the Niger State Ministry of Youth Affairs, Alhaji Adamu Umar. The same day, a Deputy Director in the Federal Department of Livestock and Pest Control Services of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, identified as Abubakar, was kidnapped along with his driver in Benin, Edo State, while on an official assignment to represent the minister.
On November 10, again in Edo State, unknown gunmen kidnapped the Ekpoma branch Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Nath Inegbedion and his three children. The whereabouts of all the victims remain unknown as their families and loved ones suffer untold heartbreak. The litany of ransom kidnapping is unending. Only the reported cases receive media publicity. There is no reliable statistics on the menacing spread of the crisis. The abduction of Nkem Owoh and others is coming on the heels of the recent kidnapping in Anambra State of the 78-year old Simeon Soludo, father of the former Governor of the Central Bank, Charles Chukwuma Soludo, the failed attempt to kidnap the Obi of Onitsha, and the kidnapping of Pete Edochie, another Nollywood star actor.
Nkem Owoh was reportedly kidnapped along the Enugu-Port Harcourt highway while travelling to Port Harcourt on an assignment. The abductors demanded N15 million as ransom which, after negotiations, was later reduced to N2 million. Kidnapping has suddenly become a profitable line of business; the abductors are reaping huge sums of money which the victimsÕ families readily provide to secure the release of their loved ones.
We deplore once more, the atrocious wave of kidnapping in the country. Most worrisome is the inability of the police and other security agencies to curb the menace. We urge the security agencies to respond to this challenge and come up with more creative ideas. Or could we possibly be dealing with a crisis not of official negligence but actual complicity which is yet to be unravelled? The security agencies need to be more diligent with their investigations.
In previous editorials, we had noted that mass unemployment is majorly at the root of this evil. Governments at all levels, across the country, should tackle the problem of unemployment as a preliminary step towards reducing the teeming number of idle hands that are available to be recruited for criminal work. It is appropriate to ask: what employment generation policies and programmes are the states pursuing? What are the federal and state lawmakers doing about this? It is sad that under their watch, the country has become one huge lawless enclave. Unfortunately, this discourages investment and increases the cost of business.
As the situation gets worse by the day, it is incumbent on all the relevant authorities to treat the menace of kidnapping as a national emergency. The country should respond to the problem to preserve the safety and dignity of human life. In addition, people should learn to take personal precautions to protect themselves and their families.