Kidnappers’ eyes now on the ‘trillions’

The report credited to the Campaign for Democracy (CD) last weekend that kidnapping has become so lucrative a business in the South-East geopolitical zone that successful kidnappers rake in an average of N750 million monthly, coincided with the abduction, last Sunday of Prof. Kamene Okonjo, the 82-year-old mother of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, from her Ogwashi-Uku home in Aniocha South Local Government Area, just a few kilometers from Asaba, the Delta State capital, which shares boundaries with Onitsha, the popular commercial city in Anambra State.

From the simple arithmetic that CD did, an average of five persons get kidnapped on monthly basis in each of the five states in the South East namely: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo; and each victim pays between N30 million and N20 million to regain freedom, which roughly amounts to N150 million per state. Before Aba, the foremost commercial city in Abia State, was rescued over a year ago from the ruthless siege of kidnappers, the latter reportedly demanded as low as N2,000 (Two Thousand Naira Only) to set free their captives, while domestic animals, including goats and fowls, were at the risk of being kidnapped. Consequently, the reality for long is that kidnapping has become a thriving business in the land; robustly nurtured by the failings of the country’s criminal justice system that lacks the nerves to punish even those caught in the act.

Complicating the boldness and heartlessness of kidnappers are unending reports of frauds, rapacious stealing and general corrupt practices in government, all flying in the face of mass unemployment and the accompanying grinding poverty, hardship, frustration, desperation and general insecurity. The case of the finance minister’s mother appears not different, except that the kidnappers’ ransom levels have changed, with their eyes now on trillions of naira. Some reports said they demanded $1 billion from the Okonjo family. Besides, the axis from where the minister’s mother was forcefully taken is not only in Delta State, which is quite notorious for kidnapping as well, but is contiguous to the South-East states where the vice seems more rampant.

But beyond the precipitate measures of the Inspector-General of Police, MD Abubakar, like querying the Delta State Commissioner of Police over the sad incident, flooding of the country home of the Okonjos with all manner of security operatives after the kidnappers had gone, or the purported relocation of Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Udughan, to Ogwashi-Uku, the kidnap of Okonjo-Iweala’s mum has again drawn attention to reports, early in the year, that a Deputy Superintendent of Police, who once headed the Delta State Anti-kidnapping Squad, was arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting the criminal activities of kidnappers in the state. Governor Uduaghan who broke the news in Warri, had claimed that the police officer was nabbed after some self-confessed kidnappers kept mentioning a certain ‘chairman’ as their boss; and investigations eventually showed that the head of the state’s anti-kidnapping outfit was that ‘chairman’ of the kidnappers’ gangs. Not long after, however, the ‘chairman’, who was arrested and flown to Abuja, was let off the hook, and was retained in the Delta State Police Command, a development that shell- shocked Governor Uduaghan and members of the Delta State House of Assembly. The IGP reportedly said the Police found no incriminating evidence against the indicted policeman, and had challenged anybody with evidence to the contrary to come forward.

Uduaghan, on the other hand, was quoted as saying that the return of the police officer coincided with the resurgence of cases of kidnapping in the state, and insisted that the matter be revisited and thoroughly investigated. For its part, the state House of Assembly accused the Chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr. Parry Osayande, as the unseen hand behind the unconditional freedom of the suspected police officer, whom they claimed was the PSC chairman’s in-law. The lawmakers pleaded with President Goodluck Jonathan to compel the IGP to reopen the case.

As the security agencies again wallow in the dark, as usual, in search of the kidnappers of the aged mother of the finance minister, Uduaghan should lead the agitation for the reopening of investigation into his claims against the suspected former boss of the Delta State Anti-kidnapping Squad, if the governor is sure of his facts. There can be no better time to revisit the sensitive allegation. Nevertheless, battling crime without addressing the root causes behind criminality – joblessness, poverty and destitution, deprivations, etc.; backed by massive stealing and fraud in government and an unreliable criminal justice system that fails to punish big time criminals, is like living in the proverbial fool’s paradise. The ‘rich man in his castle, poor man at his gate’ approach to managing Nigeria and its economy will continue to breed disappointment, discontent, violence and instability.


Source: National Mirror