As I share my thoughts on this subject, I would guess that some unknown gunmen are currently concluding their plans on how to execute the next biggest kidnap operation in the country. Kidnapping is not just a social crime that depicts moral malignity; it is a reflection of a dire economic situation, an explosion in the pipe of time. The height of kidnapping is such that no one is covered – the affluent, the poor school children, the aged parents of ex-political personalities, and the middle-class 9 am to 5 pm worker. In an actual sense, no one is safe.
Given this context, let me paint the economics behind the kidnapping. First off, the venture appears to be one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria today. I call it a business because it involves an investment inflow and a profit outturn. Most kidnap operations are sponsored by someone somewhere. When the ransom is paid, a return is generated on the investment and the executioners of the kidnap take the remnant. It would blow your mind to unravel the units across the societal chain that benefits from the cash flow from kidnapping. Thus, proceeds from kidnapping are sponsoring consumption and investment activities in the country. This is just another repeat of how unofficial and illegal activities are promoting ‘black’ consumption and investment.
At the heart of my thought is the government. One would expect that a government that prides itself in having one of the strongest militaries in Africa should be able to influence its policing system to quickly solve a kidnap operation. Albeit, the reverse is the case. To my bewilderment, most of the recent school kidnappings take some time considering the number of students who are kidnapped. Again, it is puzzling that the kidnappers always find a way to move the victims to their hideouts without a trace. This is where the inability of the government to infuse technology into internal security becomes pronounced. Once a nearby police station gets hold of the information that a kidnap is being executed, a small drone can be sent to the scene of a kidnap operation while it is ongoing. Does it mean the entire science and technology universities in Nigeria cannot create a system of drones for the Nigerian police?
Away from that though, it is now commonplace for the government to undertake clandestine ransom payments instead of seeking ways to nip the kidnapping culture in the bud. A report from CFR revealed that a state government paid N30million (US$76,000) to rescue schoolboys kidnapped in 2021. The notorious Chibok girls’ kidnap was likely resolved through ransom payment. I am certain that most kidnap operations in 2021 that were resolved involved cash settlements from the government. How come the money was not traced? How come the drop happened and someone picked the cash and not a single security agency could foster an apprehension at the scene of the drop? What is the point of the huge budget allocation for defense every year?
Given the laxity of the government and a seemingly weak federal police system, I envisage that the frequency of kidnapping will escalate. Until the government sends a message that they will rather use their last security resource to rescue kidnap victims (instead of paying ransoms), the business of kidnapping will thrive. Where does this leave us? I’ll tell you! It leaves us right in the middle of a security mess; a mess that will get messier as days go by. Quite right, everyone has a role to play in keeping the country safe, but the government has a bigger pie. At the minimum, the government should ensure adequate food and security, but here we are, fraught with the twin deprivation. It is now a scare to go to school and study in classes, especially in the North. Should this trend continue, children in the North will show ultra-high apathy to education and this will come back to haunt the entire country.
Based on the foregoing, I propose a revamp of the structures, institutions and policies underlying the Nigeria police.
Written by Michael Ogunremi
Photo Credit: Unsplash