The need to rescue kidnapped victims without ransom payment

By securing the release of about 1000 Nigerians from kidnappers, and without paying ransom to their abductors, the Nigerian security authorities can afford to beat their chest on what they considered a commendable feat. In real terms, the ‘feat’ portrays a major dent on the image of Nigeria, and constitutes a slap on the condition of humanity in the country. For one thing, the image of 1000 hapless citizens being herded into criminal detention is hardly befitting of any country that sees itself as civilised.

Indeed, all over the world, it is rare to come across news of so many people being kidnapped, even if the acts were spread across weeks or months. For another thing, the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, who broke the news of the rescue, did not tell Nigerians how many hundreds of other hapless citizens are still languishing in the custody of their abductors. But if daily reports of the activities of kidnappers and terrorists are anything to go by, there are many more victims held unlawfully, for every victim liberated. In any event, most kidnapped victims paid ransom before managing to regain their freedom. There are, of course, countless reports of hundreds of people killed; thousands missing, and so many others damaged beyond recovery. It is indeed a sad situation that deserves no cheer.

One of the unending heartbreaking kidnapping cases currently plaguing the country is the September 22, 2023, abduction of students from Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State by bandits who demanded as much as N1 billion payment for their release. However, the other day, Ribadu briefed newsmen that the last batch of the kidnapped students was rescued without payment of ransom to the abductors. According to the report, the first batch of the students was rescued on March 15, 2024, while the second batch was released on April 12, 2024, and the last batch on April 14, 2024, after spending about 207 days in the kidnappers’ den. According to the NSA: “This is yet again a success story in our efforts to free all those being unlawfully held in captivity. We have so far released over a thousand of such victims without noise and in complete respect to their privacy and safety.”

Beyond the misplaced applause, it is the constitutional duty of the government, through security agencies, to secure the nation and defend the citizenry. Again, it should be noted that, for every 1000 rescued victims by the NSA, many more abductions are being carried out daily that require the NSA’s urgent attention for rescue.

A conspicuously missing aspect of the NSA briefing is: what happened to the abductors during the rescue operation? Were they arrested, killed or did they repent and were taken to rehabilitation centres? If the students were indeed released without payment of ransom, that would suggest that some military operations took place, in which event, the kidnappers would have incurred some casualties, including capture. But Ribadu made no mention of this; nor did he indicate that the criminals would be prosecuted. Kidnapping is unacceptable and stands condemned in its entirety. This ignoble practice should not be the fate and reward of children seeking education in the country in the twenty-first century; or of any Nigerian in his residence or on the road travelling. The horrible kidnapping of the Chibok girls in 2014 should have been a wake-up call to the severe risks Nigerian children face in their pursuit of education.

That is why the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Nigeria, Ms Cristian Munduate, called on the Nigerian government, partners, and the international community to take decisive steps to ensure that all schools in Nigeria have the resources and tools to fully implement the minimum standards for safe schools, focusing on the most vulnerable region in the country. It is therefore imperative for the government and the security agencies to be more proactive in checkmating kidnapping than to emphasise victims rescued without payment of ransom and noise.

Beyond this, however, there is a need for the prioritisation of education and child protection in national policies and budget allocations to create a safer and more inclusive environment for all Nigerian children. According to UNICEF, it is regrettable that only about 37 per cent of schools across 10 states of the federation had early warning systems in place to identify threats, such as school attacks.

Therefore, there is a need to intensify efforts to protect the country’s most vulnerable population—the Nigerian children. In this regard, therefore, Ribadu should walk his talk as he declared that: “Going forward we are strengthening law enforcement and security measures to prevent these abductions and strengthen physical security across vulnerable communities”.

As insecurity truncates growth and development in the country, there is an urgent need for a collective response to this despicable kidnapping situation. This will entail looking beyond the symptoms of the problem, but also identifying and addressing its cause fundamentally, which includes the lack of job opportunities for teeming youths; the lack of educational or vocational openings for them, and the absence of a befitting environment governed by law and order.

Economic indices point to more people being out of jobs these days in the country than at any time in her recent history. Over the years, there has been the closure of several businesses, small and big, due to unfriendly government policies or inaction to effect positive changes in the economy. As it were, in the face of the enormous poverty that abounds, human dignity has been eroded in society and the temptation to indulge in heinous vices like kidnapping to make money by all means is all the stronger by the day.

To arrest insecurity and reduce the current tension and frustration among students in our schools, the government must come clean in the fight against insecurity in the country.  For a start, education should be accorded its rightful place in the scheme of things. It is a fundamental right of every citizen and a crucial pathway out of poverty and crime Therefore, insecurity or kidnapping should not be allowed to constitute a barrier for any Nigerian child from going to school.