THE year 2024 did not start on a pleasant note for some residents of the FCT and its environs as the disturbing surge in kidnappings, extended into the new year from the previous year.
This reality sent shockwaves through FCT communities and fueled widespread anxiety across the country.
As the capital city of Nigeria reels from this relentless surge in kidnappings, residents of Abuja confront a harrowing reality of insecurity, prompting urgent calls for action from authorities.
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The kidnap of Najeebah and her sisters came to limelight when the family cried out for help to crowdfund a ransom of 60 million.
They had been kidnapped in their home on January 9 2024, along with their father after their uncle was killed. The bandits released their father, demanding that he should raise N60 million as payment before Friday, January 12 2024, to free his daughters.
After a week of them in captivity, the death of the eldest sister, and an increase of the ransom to 100 million, Nigerians expressed their anger towards the lackadaisical attitude of the government and security operatives towards the situation.
A former minister of communications and digital economy, Isah Pantami came under fire for aiding the ransom payment after the compulsory linkage of phone numbers with National Identity Number (NIN) during his tenure as minister which he claimed would solve insecurity in the country.
The six girls were released on Saturday January 20, 2024. But like other insecurity cases in the country, it wasn’t the last in the FCT and its environs. In the following weeks, at least there were three different kidnap cases and ransom crowdfunding increased.
Over 23 residents in Dei-dei community located off Kubwa-Zuba expressway were abducted, mostly taken from three housing estates in the area. Similarly barely 48 hours after the kidnappers’ attack at Dei-Dei, two children, alongside nine adults, were also whisked away at Gbaupe village, behind Aco Estate, along Airport Road in Abuja.
Some weeks later, the FCT police command orchestrated the arrest of a popular kidnapper in Abuja, Chinaza Philips. The FCT minister Nyesom Wike also announced a cash prize for whoever finds the kidnappers which prompted the police force to make more arrests.
While some security experts think that this approach would make the citizenry assist in the search of kidnapped victims and employ caution in the neighborhood others think that this approach would only make individuals fake kidnaps when they know there is a bounty involved among other security concerns.
Speaking with THE ICIR, a security analyst with SBM intelligence, Emeka Okoro highlighted that while the approach of offering rewards to individuals for assisting security operatives in apprehending criminals, the technique is not without issues. He stated that offering incentives can promote cooperation, but there’s a chance they will be abused for nefarious purposes.
‘Over time, the bounty approach has emerged as a means of rewarding individuals for aiding in the capture of criminal activities. While it plays a major role in crime prevention, the practice is not without its problems. On one hand, offering incentives encourages collaboration; on the other hand, there’s a risk of inducement being exploited for personal gain.’
‘To maintain its effectiveness, security agents should not rely solely on this approach. Instead, they should focus on educating citizens about the significance of providing accurate and reliable information to law enforcement agencies.’ He stated
The executive director of Elixir Trust foundation, Emmanuel Ikule, noted that the bounty reward for individuals is just going to be a means for embezzlement of funds while victims of the attacks are neglected.
He noted that the bounty approach can’t be sustained as security operatives should be mandated to carry out their primary role and be punished for failure to perform.
After some arrests were made, there was a decrease in the outcry in the FCT but it upsurge in other parts of the country like, Kaduna as The ICIR reported that over 100 school children were abducted on March 7 2024.
The ICIR had earlier reported in January that over 380 persons were kidnapped between December 2023, and January 2024, across Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu.
Okoro stated that while observing that the significant kidnappings in Abuja have temporarily decreased, it is not safe to say that it is over as there are still issues of thefts and robberies in the city.
‘While it’s possible that major kidnappings may have temporarily subsided in Abuja, it would be unwise to declare an end to the threat, as those responsible might be on a brief hiatus, potentially gearing up for future incidents. Despite a decline in high-profile abductions, the city is still grappling with ongoing issues such as minor thefts, ‘One Chance’ robberies, armed robberies, and home break-ins across various areas of the FCT,’ he stated.
He also attributed the cause of the recent kidnappings in the north to economic, political and religious factors.
‘The causes of the current wave of kidnappings in northern Nigeria are complex and multifaceted, involving factors such as economic challenges, political instability, and tensions within the region. Socioeconomic issues, chief among them is poverty and lack of opportunities, can contribute to the rise in criminal activities. Additionally, ethnic and religious dynamics, along with weak law enforcement, may also play a role in the security challenges faced in the region,’ he noted.
Ikule also shares the same views as Okoro while adding that porous borders is also a major factor.
‘Neighbouring countries have heard about our story and since our borders are open, criminals just mobilise and find someone who is their spokesperson and the work of collecting millions starts,’ Ikule stated.
To forestall future security breaches in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), they both noted that beefing up the security is essential which involves strengthening and enhancing the monitoring systems and security operatives.
‘Implementing a comprehensive security strategy is very important. This involves enhancing surveillance systems, strengthening law enforcement, improving intelligence sharing, and investing in cybersecurity measures for critical infrastructure. Additionally, engaging the community and public awareness campaigns can contribute to creating a more secure environment. Regular training for security personnel and staying updated on evolving security threats is essential for effective prevention.’ Okoro stated
‘The functions of security agencies differ, each should be made to concentrate in its area of jurisdiction, specialisation, so that those failing would be known and something can be done to improve them. They can share intel that supports and improves the work of their fellow agencies.
‘The FCT like each state needs a Central Tech -Hub that monitors the environments with the help of cameras, cam-coders, a central forensic lab with forensics that aids investigation of cases” Ikule highlighted.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org