IN a reckless disregard of the measures being put in place by the law enforcement agencies, cases of kidnapping and armed robbery are yet to abate in the country. Instead, there is a disturbing upsurge of both crimes, especially in Edo, Lagos and Ogun states. As we approach the end of the year - or what the populace call the "ember months" - the security agencies, especially the police, have to do some soul-searching as they have been discovered to be part of the problem. Mohammed Abubakar, the Inspector-General of Police, has to shift attention to the states where these crimes are rampant with a view to ending the reign of terror by bandits. On August 22, Mike Ozekhome, a lawyer and human rights activist, was abducted by kidnappers along the Benin-Auchi Expressway, Edo State. Also abducted in the same operation was an All Progressives Congress party leader, Athanasius Ogbome. In an operation that brought the readiness of the police into question, the kidnappers blocked the expressway in broad daylight before making off with Ozekhome and his driver. The criminals killed four police officers who were on a mission to rescue the Senior Advocate of Nigeria and his driver. Unfortunately, three weeks after, Ozekhome has not been freed, nor have his kidnappers been arrested by the police. Of late, Edo has become the den of kidnappers. While we acknowledge that Foluso Adebanjo, the Commissioner of Police in Edo, ended the reign of terror in the so-called "Evil Forest" on the outskirts of Benin, where kidnappers and robbers operated with impunity, recent cases of kidnapping in his domain are worrisome. In a bizarre case, three primary school teachers - Patience Osadolor, Patience Oroghene and Aisha Momodu - were abducted in Benin, the capital. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of N60 million. This is unimaginable; how much does a primary school teacher earn that would make him/her the target of criminals? Earlier this year, Doyin Rhodes-Vivour, the wife of a Supreme Court Justice, and her daughter were kidnapped in Edo. It took many weeks for the victims to regain their freedom. Similarly affected was the vice-chairman of Uhumnwonde Local Government, Walter Aiwekhoe, adding to the long list of politicians, film stars, national team players, literary icons, medical practitioners and academics that have suffered the same fate. Usually, the criminals demand huge ransom to free their victims. Abductions are so rife in the state that "500 suspects are being prosecuted in court," according to Adebanjo. No wonder Obioma Imoke, wife of the Cross River Governor, said the heinous crime has "attained the status of a big business," within our society. An international organisation even claims that Nigeria has the sixth highest rate of kidnapping in the world, joining the likes of Mexico, Afghanistan, Venezuela and Brazil. For Nigeria to exit this group, there has to be a renewed vigour in the enforcement of extant laws. In Lagos, which used to be a relatively safe haven from the activities of criminals, an upsurge has recently been noticed in crime. Early last month, two students of the Yaba College of Technology were shot in their residence in the Bariga area of the state during a robbery operation in which a lady was raped. Robbers also raided about 60 houses in Papa Ashafa, Dopemu, killing one person. "The robbers took their time as if they knew nobody would come to help us," said an affected resident. While the police in Lagos have reduced crime to some extent, the worrisome allegation that the police do not answer distress calls from residents has to be addressed. In the Dopemu example, the robbers operated unhindered for hours, according to the victims. The police have to do far better than this. And because criminals are being somehow checkmated in Lagos, they are finding a refuge in some adjoining towns in Ogun State. There are also worrying reports that criminals are infiltrating the police and that cops are getting increasingly involved in crimes. In July, officers of the 4 Brigade/Sector 1 Joint Task Force Operation, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, announced that they smashed an armed robbery gang, comprising members of serving policemen. And in August, many newspapers quoted Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Jonathan Johnson, as lamenting that many Nigerian policemen were armed robbers and were being killed daily because of their involvement in various crimes. Besides armed robbery, he also condemned their habit of extorting money from motorists and liasing with other criminally-minded individuals. There is also the allegation that some police officers are collaborating with kidnappers by collecting ransom on behalf of the families of kidnapped victims and not delivering the money, or delivering in part. To curb this trend that is seriously threatening socioeconomic life in the country, the IG should consider an audit of his officers and men to make sure that cops who have become criminals are immediately dismissed. Since this is said to be one of the main reasons why kidnapping is thriving, the IG has to initiate other moves to arrest the situation. Also, the IG could set a target for the Commissioners of Police in every state command in order to ensure that the rate of crime is reduced.
Posted on: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 04:12:49 +0000
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