For the past few years Nigeria has been engulfed in this problem of kidnapping and banditry in general.
kidnapping can be either for criminally economic gratification or terrorism inclined. in Nigeria the kidnapping started as a terrorism but quickly metamorphosed into the economic gratification.
this problem started in the Niger delta as the terrorism aspect to draw political attention to their plight in the region due to the effect of the exploration of oil in the Niger delta region. but the actors rather immediately recognize the economical benefit of using kidnapping for financial inducement, thereby abandoning the original intent and rep[lacing it with the quick monetary gain.
for more than two decades the problem is largely limited to the creeks in the Niger delta. but unfortunately it has crawled hinterland to the extent that nowadays it engulf the entire nation.
I started by brief explanation of the origin of the problem but my post is mainly about the solution to this kidnapping/banditry that became rampant in the country.
There are many different actors who need to do what they are supposed to do to control this menace. these are:
1. Government
2. Parents.
3. Traditional/ Religious leaders.
4. Youths.
5. General Community.
my post today is on General Community per se.
the solution to Kidnapping/ Banditry have two stages, the first stage is:
STOPPAGE OF RANSOME PAYMENT.
This is very difficult and the most important aspect of the solution. as far as money is going to these criminals they will never stop. the more money that they receive the more weapons they will buy and more recruits they will engage and expand their operations. they threaten to kill the hostages and yes they will even kill some but the reality is they need the ransom to keep buying guns and bullets, without ransom there will be no bullet to operate.
I believe if today ransom will stop 100% in the next three years the issue of kidnapping will became history. so this is the best solution but unfortunately the most difficult to follow.
SECURITY CONCIOUSNESS FROM THE PUBLIC
As the first solution is difficult to observe 100% this one can be observed if we really want to, because this one is within our control and power.
security is general concern, as such if we take the issue of security as really ours, the criminals will have no space to operate.
we should be our neighbor's keeper by protecting our areas, in this aspect I don't mean arming people with guns. No we arm them with information.
at least more than 80% of Nigerian citizens have and operate mobile phones, but the question is how many people have the phone number of their DPO or any security officer that is operating within their immediate environment? check your phone did you have a security personnel's phone number that you can call in case of emergency? this person should be in your ward or local government not assistant commissioner or police commissioner. you need emergency response not chain of command when in emergency.
these criminals are not spirits and they don't fall from the sky, the use the roads you and I use now if we can take the attitude of IF YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU SAY SOMETHING I mean any criminal act you observe you will just call the security operatives the rate of crime will definitely reduce if not totally eliminated.
for example a farmer goes to his farm in the bush in the morning, he saw these bandits passing by, he is not going to challenge them NO all he has to do is allow them to pass freely and immediately they are out of sight he can use his mobile phone to call the security operatives and inform the what he observe that's all. it will be up to them to confront them and deal with the situation.