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Kidnapping In Nigeria
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However, in 2009, rebranding project was frantically
directed towards redeeming the image of Nigeria due to the fact that
most countries of the world and Nigerians themselves perceive Nigerians
negatively (Dieye and Iwele, 2011: 78). Incidentally, in that same 2009
there was rise in kidnapping as available statistics shows that there
was 512 incidence of kidnapping in 2009 against 353 in 2008 (Ojukwu,
2011: 380). Ojukwu also noted that the ambassador of the rebranding
Nigeria project, Pete Edochie was kidnapped in Onitsha on his way to his
home town- Nteje. Since then, kidnapping has drastically affected the
country’s image and major businesses in the country.
Furthermore,
kidnapping for ransom posses serious threat to the well ordering and
functioning of the society and many factors were perceived as its
causes. In Nigeria, such factors include corruption among the Nigeria
Police Force (Adibe, 2009), unemployment, poverty and leadership failure
(Diara, 2010), failure of the government to provide basic amenities and
the use of cult gangs and militants by politicians in electoral
processes (Okengwu, 2011: 1), access to large quantities of small arms
and light weapons (International
Crisis Group, 2006 as cited in Iduh,
2011: 126). This study will lay emphasis on the perception of people in
Enugu East Senatorial District concerning kidnapping in Nigeria.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Kidnapping
in Nigeria is a very serious contemporary social problem which was
noted by Iduh (2011: 125) as the outcome of decades of peaceful protests
in the Niger - Delta region. Kidnapping first attracted national
attention on 20th February 2006 when Niger - Delta militants kidnapped
foreign oil workers to press their demand (Nwadiorah and Nkwocha, 2011).
Since then, many Nigerians have been kidnapped and only released on
huge ransom whose re-payment they may not be able to make for the rest
of their lives (Oshio, 2009: 13). The statistics of kidnapping by the
Distress Call Base (DBC, Anti-Kidnapping Squad Enugu, 2012) show that
from January to December 2009, there were nine reported cases of
kidnapping, eight victims of kidnapping, five victims of kidnapping
rescued, one victim killed and twenty two arrested kidnappers.
Furthermore in 2010, there were twenty six reported cases against nine
cases in 2009, twelve kidnapped victims against eight in 2009, eleven
rescued victims against five in 2009 and thirty eight arrested
kidnappers against twenty-two in 2009. Also in 2011 the data reveal rise
in kidnapping as there were forty six reported cases of kidnapping,
fifty eight kidnap victims, fifty five rescued victims, one victim
killed and one hundred and thirty six kidnappers arrested. In three
months from January to March 2012, there were five reported cases of
kidnapping, six kidnap victims, five rescued victims and six kidnappers
arrested.
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