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ACT OF KIDNAPPING: CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION & REPORTING BLAMES NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT

The act of kidnapping is becoming embarrassing to all. Our organization hereby blames our governments for its inability to arrest the situation. We find it difficult believing that whereabouts of these kidnappers cannot be known.

It is shameful in the side of Nigerian Governments for their inability to track down the perpetrators of kidnapping in the country. For any act of kidnapping to be successful, there are many stages involving kidnapping, calling relative of their victims to inform them that they have been kidnapped, requesting for ransom, negotiating with relatives, receiving ransoms and releasing their victims. It is not difficult for any sincere government to track down the kidnappers. Unfortunately, Nigerian government finds it difficult to do.

Our organization calls the Nigeria Police to inform the people of Nigeria about the outcome of their various reports and investigations on kidnapping in the country. We are aware, the police and other securities agencies have always investigated and looked for the kidnappers. Their tasks end as soon as the victims are released.

We are aware ransoms are not deposited in bank accounts, they are received by people. The questions are: who are the negotiators and who receive the ransoms? We notice, in a situation whereby, monies are paid in any bank accounts, it is possible to arrest the beneficiaries if the governments are sincere.

Our organization expected that the recent kidnap of Pa Soludo, father of the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria would have exposed the evil act, more so that it was allegedly said by Chris Uba, a member of Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party that, Charles Soludo knew where and how to get his father. Unfortunately, the kidnappers successfully received 30 million naira to release the old man and nothing happened.

We notice so many people have been kidnapped including senior government officials, expatriates, politicians, entertainers and other stakeholders without any attempt to arrest the situation in the country. We are aware; a lot of billions have been spent by federal governments to put an end to the act of militancy in the Niger Delta region. If government of the country is not ready to put an end to this now, it should be ready to spend other billions to settle the kidnappers; meanwhile, it is not going to be in a particular region, but in all the states of the federation.

This act will continue in this country if urgent actions are not taken. This is fast becoming attracting and more lucrative because the perpetrators go unpunished. It is not going to be surprising if more people get engaged in this act across the country. The way our government is handling issue of kidnapping in this country, if any Governor, senator, member of the House of Representatives or even the President of the country is kidnapped, ransoms will be paid and the perpetrators will go scot free.

Nigeria is fast becoming a laving stock in the comity of other countries. No other country would have been careless like Nigeria in the world. What is happening in this country? Everything is in disarray. Our governments cannot claim ignorant of this evil act. Let us wait and see the next victim. We are also expecting the newly Inspector General of Police Onovo Ogbonna to be kidnapped since he finds it difficult to stop the act of kidnapping in the country. We also look forward having President Musa Umar Yar'adua, Vincent Ogbulafor, PDP National Chairman and other stake holders in the country to be kidnapped.

While calling on security agencies in the country to arrest the situation, we urge law makers at states and national assembly’s to introduce and pass bills that will ensure death penalty on any act of kidnapping in the country.