The kidnap of 20 medical students and one doctor in the Otukpo area of Benue State has further underscored the upsurge in insecurity in Nigeria. The medical students from the University of Jos and the University of Maiduguri, who are members of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS), were headed for their annual convention in Enugu when they were kidnapped along the Otukpo-Enugu highway. The abductors reportedly demanded a ransom of N50 million and threatened to harm the students, if their demands were not met. Fortunately, the students and the doctor were later released. While we applaud the security agencies for their release, we urge them to stem the upsurge in kidnapping.
From the abduction of hundreds of Chibok schoolgirls in April 2014 by Boko Haram terrorists to the subsequent kidnap of thousands of innocent schoolchildren from their schools in some parts of Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Yobe and Zamfara states, among others, our students have suffered enough in the hands of terrorists and bandits in our midst.
Aside from students, medical doctors appear to be targets as well. Recently, the medical community threatened strike over the abduction of medical doctors in some parts of the country. The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) recently threatened to embark on a nationwide strike, if their abducted colleague, Dr. Ganiyat Popoola, is not released by August 26. The association said it had lost patience with the government’s inaction over the incident. Dr. Popoola, a registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology, National Eye Centre, Kaduna, was kidnapped on December 27, 2023, along with her husband and nephew. The abductors only released her husband in March this year.
In Anambra State, members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Anambra State branch, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of their colleague, Dr. Stephen Ezeh, kidnapped by yet-to-be-identified persons at his residence in Umunnamehi village, Ihiala Local Government Area of the state. The incident happened on August 15, 2024. The kidnappers reportedly demanded N40 million ransom and later reduced it to N30 million. Doctors withdrew their services across the state. However, the strike has been called off following the release of their colleague.
On August 16, 2024, Anambra State Commissioner for Youth Development, Patrick Aghamba, and his wife were kidnapped in Edo Sate. They were on their way to Abuja to attend the wedding of the daughter of the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo. Though the commissioner and his wife have been released, one of their aides, Mr. A.B.K. Offiah, was not that lucky. He was killed during the attack.
There are many other kidnap incidents in recent times. A Nigerian consultancy firm, SBM Intelligence, estimated that, between May 2023, when President Bola Tinubu took over power, and January 2024, about 4,777 cases of kidnapping have been recorded in the country. According to a global data hub, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), over 4,556 fatalities and 7,086 abductions occurred between May 29, 2023, and May 22, 2024. This is frightening.
Reasons for the upsurge are not far to find. There is severe economic crisis, which has pushed many people to hunger and poverty. People with criminal tendencies have cashed in on this to perpetrate crime. Besides, our value system has collapsed. Although unemployment is a contributory factor to the rise in crime, greed is a major factor. Many youths no longer want to engage in meaningful work that will earn them legitimate income. They want a quicker way of making money. Unfortunately, the society does not question sources of unexplained wealth anymore.
Failure of intelligence among our security agencies does not help matters. Most times, our security agencies react after the deed is done. They know some of the hideouts of these criminals but they fail to take decisive actions to curb the menace.
We commend the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for the deployment of human and technical resources, including tactical operatives, helicopters, drones and vehicles to augment the manpower of the Benue State Police Command that ensured the swift rescue of the students. Nevertheless, there is need for government to tackle the upsurge in kidnapping. We urge the police and other security agencies to map out plans to rescue other victims of kidnapping across the country.