The increase in kidnapping and abduction cases in recent times in Nigeria has been described as alarming, disturbing, unacceptable and the federal government through its security agencies must raise to responsibilities to put in place drastic measures to stop the menace before it gets out of hand.
This was observed and cautioned by the National President of Almushahid Initiative for Transparency and Accountability (AITA), Ambassador Aminu Abubakar Majidadi who was reacting to the Thursday night invasion of an estate in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, kidnapping a couple and another man.
According to Majidadi, ‘the news of how again three persons were abducted after gunmen suspected to be bandits invaded Grow Homes Estate along Kuchibiyi in the Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja is a clear indication that even Nigeria’s seat of power is not spared by the menace of abduction and kidnapping of Nigerians’.
“The report has it that gunmen numbering about 20 began their operations by shooting sporadically to scare off people and then proceeded to whisk away a newly married couple and another man. This is happening barely eight months after nine persons were kidnapped in the estate and nobody was after arrested”, Majidadi said.
“Also, let us not forget in a hurry several cases of kidnapping ranging from the kidnapping of students in schools and other acts of mass and individual kidnappings by bandits in several states mostly in the North.”
“Recall, the abduction of students of the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State, were abducted from three off-campus hostels in the early hours of September 22 by bandits. Security agencies later secured the release of some of the students. But the fate of the remaining students is yet to be established as the police and the school authority have not given an update.”
“Another four female students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), were reportedly abducted in this month of October at night in Keffi, the headquarters of Keffi Local Government Area of the state.”
“Also, recently, nine persons including a former local government caretaker chairperson, Dauda Mai Iyali, were killed when terrorists attacked Danmusa, the headquarters of Danmusa Local Government in Katsina State and abducted several people in an attack that began around 8:00 p.m. and lasted several hours”. These are but a few among recent cases mentioned”, Majidadi narrated.
Amb. Majidadi expressed dismay with the reactive approaches to the sad incidents, instead of been proactive through intelligence gathering and measures to stop the barbaric acts, arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators
The National President of AITA ended by saying, ‘It is sad that these incidents kept happening and fewer of these enemies of Nigerian people were arrested. Indeed, Nigerians are yet to see evidence of the promises by this administration as the security situation in the country keeps getting worse. It’s high time we see drastic measures in place to end these nightmares.”
