Kidnapping In Nigeria Research Articles

‘I Went through Hell’: Strategies for Kidnapping and Victims’ Experiences in Nigeria

ABSTRACT Understanding the experiences of the victims of kidnapping when in captivity can provide useful data for designing public safety behavior programs. Such experiences when probed more deeply expose the trajectories of movements to kidnappers’ den and circumstances under which victims negotiate their survival. Existing studies have not examined these dimensions of kidnapping experiences in Nigeria. Using newspaper coverage of kidnapping cases in Nigeria, this article utilizes 20 newspaper interviews of former victims. Findings show that victims were tortured, threatened with violence and death, and regularly relocated to different camps to keep them in captivity. Victims’ telephones were used to contact their families and the ‘emotions of agony’ put relations in panic to source for the ransom demanded. Gender, social status of victims, and level of cooperation from victims as well as their relations influenced kidnappers’ range of treatment of victims. Based on the findings, this article recommends public safety behavior advocacy and awareness campaigns by security agencies and government highlighting contemporary strategies being used by kidnappers that could reduce kidnapping in Nigeria.

Militancy and violence as a catalyst to kidnapping in Nigeria

This study examines the concept of militancy and violence as a catalyst for kidnapping in Nigeria. The study acknowledges that there may be violent and non-violent militancy, but kidnapping is always forceful and violent in nature. Nigeria has witnessed and continues to witness various forms of militancy and violence, which have generated a booming new enterprise in the form of kidnapping for ransom. Government efforts to address these problems have been discriminatory, sentimental and engulfed in ethnicity. The lop-sidedness and apathy shown by the government in thwarting this menace has led to militants’ demands for self-determination and sovereignty. Triggers for militancy, such as social injustice, oppressive policies, marginalization and resource control, seem to have no bearing on government agenda and policy. There is mistrust as to the intent of the government in containing the rising profile of militants and kidnappers, thereby creating fear in the minds of Nigerian citizens. We recommend among other actions: re-value orientation, good governance based on justice and the rule of law, and reform of the criminal justice system.

Does theory matters: Constructing an integrated theoretical framework to describe kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria

Abstract Assumptions and debates on the causes/motives and, by implication, theories of kidnapping in Nigeria for ransom, are legions, and largely speculative, however. This paper engages in a rigorous analytical review of the factors, patterns and processes of kidnapping, and several related theories, to construct an integrated/alliance model of kidnapping in Nigeria. Kidnappers' social constructions and interpretative meanings show that the factors and processes that enable kidnapping to occur are, though, basically economic and space-based, they vary, occurs in chains-spaces in a coordinated, interdependent and interconnected manner. The policy implication suggests (1) that several factors coalesce and intervene at different stages to explain kidnapping (2) future research on kidnapping and meaning construction consider the kidnappers' perspective and those of the other actors and the media (3) a multi-dimensional and interdisciplinary (Epi-criminology) approach to tackle the several different theories/causes animating young Nigerians to engage in the criminal enterprise of kidnapping is a welcome development.

An Analysis of the Causes and Consequences of Kidnapping in Nigeria

Kidnapping is a serious crime and has potential for transforming into other felonious offenses, such as physical violence, financial victimisation, and murder. This paper did not focus only on the consequences of kidnapping but also examined its predisposing factors in Nigeria. Thus, the objectives of the study are: to examine the nexus between terrorism and kidnapping; to investigate the mutual reinforcement between corruption and kidnapping; to find out if kidnapping and poverty are correlated; and to examine the consequences of the problem. Using secondary qualitative data, the study found out that kidnapping has been taking place in Nigeria due to the activities of insurgent groups in the Niger Delta region, but it increased with the emergence of “Boko Haram” terrorism in the North-eastern Nigeria; corruption is not strongly related to kidnapping, but they have indirect connection whereby youth political thugs served corrupt political leaders and turned out to become kidnappers, sometimes for ransom from political opponents; poverty is correlated with kidnapping in Nigeria; and there are multiple consequences of kidnapping, such as financial victimization, rape and even death of the victims. The paper therefore suggested that for kidnapping to be eradicated in Nigeria, poverty and corruption must also be significantly reduced. The paper also suggested that terrorism and insurgency should be fought as they involved abductions of innocent people, females and children in particular; thus, for Nigeria to address the kidnapping phenomenon, strategic security action should be onslaught against terrorism and insurgency, etc. Key Words : Causes of Kidnapping, Kidnapping, Kidnapping in Nigeria, Abduction, Consequences of Kidnapping

Causes and Incisive Solutions to the Widespread of Kidnapping in Nigeria Current Administration: Under Scholastic Scrutiny

Nigeria was globally declared as one of the horrible country to subsist in the world because of the widespread of corruption, injustice, violence and lack of security that exposed many innocent lives to end up in the hitch of kidnappers. This manuscript discovers that the rate of kidnapping in Nigeria was geometrically increased such that more than 2000 innocent people including Chibok girls, politicians, government officials, influential people and kings were reported to have been kidnapped between 2014 and 2017. While some of these victims were rescued after paying huge amount of money as ransom, some of them were able to escape after being tortured or raped and others were incarcerated to die of mysterious hunger. This research put forward that, kidnapping is the abduction or holding people hostage either to take ransom from the victim’s family or as a sacrifice for ritual money or as an extenuative appeasement to win political appointment. As a result of perpetual injustice and corruption in Nigeria, kidnapping has now become the most lucrative business that can transform penniless to become rich in a blink of an eye. This paper concludes that the blight of kidnapping in Nigeria continue to aggravate due to the gravity of corruption and unemployment that rendered many skillful graduate to become jobless which drive them to desperately looking for a way to survive. The major objective of this study is to analyze the causes and the consequence of kidnapping in order to provide possible solution with scholastic scrutiny.

Regional differences and developmental implications of security challenges in Nigeria

Using crime review figures for four randomly selected states in Nigeria, this study examines cases of kidnapping and its implications for the national economy. The findings reveal that kidnapping is consistently on the increase in Nigeria and is not evenly spread across regions. It is shown that 15 cases were recorded in 2005 and 43 cases in 2008. In 2009, 138 cases were officially recorded, of which 22% and 76% occurred in Rivers and Edo states respectively. Findings further showed that modern kidnapping in Nigeria is triggered by resource control disputes directed both at oil expatriate workers and at prominent citizens, politicians and members of their families. The crisis, which came to the fore in 2005, has forced oil production shutdowns of up to 800 000 barrels per day. The study concludes that kidnapping is becoming a serious crime in Nigeria with significant negative implications for foreign investment, national foreign exchange earnings, and revenue generation.

Curbing Kidnapping in Nigeria: An Exploration of Strategic Peace Building Tools

The increasing growth of kidnapping inNigeria has become a strong threat tonational peace and security. It has affected the national image of the state and has eaten deep into every region and segmentof the nation. This work unveils howidentity fanaticism and political violence led to emergence of economy of violence referred as "kidnapping” in Nigeria. Upon this circumstance, the paper argues that peace building is a potent strategic tool that can eliminates kidnapping and other terror related crime from Nigeria by ensuring that violent actors and their sponsors embrace peace while exploring other non-violent mechanisms for resolving such differences that trigger kidnapping in the Nigerian state. It adds that adequate public information process, a behavioural change messages and actions that return the mindsets of of kidnapping into the life of rule of law and peaceful coexistence, eliminates the network of organized crime used by kidnappers to carry out its nefarious activities. Essentially eradication of kidnapping restores security climate for establishment of democratic culture, promotion of national development, and foreign direct investment.

The Social Problem of Kidnapping and its Implications on the Socio-Economic Development of Nigeria: A Study of Uyo Metropolis

The main thrust of this study was to investigate the problem of kidnapping and its consequences on Nigerians in general and Uyo dwellers in particular. To achieve this objective, the study elicited data through questionnaire from 260 randomly selected respondents comprising of policemen/women from various departments at the state police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, Uyo, in Akwa Ibom State, lawyers from the state judiciary headquarters as well as clergymen and members of the public in the aforementioned study area. Chi-square analytical tool was used to analyze elicited data at 0.05 level of significance. The result from the test of hypothesis one shows that there is a significant relationship between the recurring rates of kidnapping and the people’s culture. Test of hypothesis two shows that there is no correlation between kidnapping and the disposition of government. Test of hypothesis three shows that kidnapping is significantly dependent on the provisions of the Nigerian constitution; while result from hypothesis four shows that there is no significant relationship between kidnapping and political activities. Findings from the study shows that, the prevalence of kidnapping in Nigeria is as a result of laxity in the law implementation process to prosecute offenders. Consequent upon this findings it is suggested that the issue of ransom payment by victim’s families/relatives to kidnappers should be seriously condemned. Government also should endeavour to create employment for the teaming population of youths as this will assist to check the proliferation of the kidnapping. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n6p531

Effectiveness of Capital Punishment as Deterrence to Kidnapping in Nigeria

The menace of kidnapping in Nigeria has become embarrassingly unstoppable. The situation has completely gone out of control. One approach that has gained some popularity in an attempt to curtail kidnapping incidents in the country is the amendment of the statute and the upgrading of kidnapping to a capital offence by the legislature in some States of the Federation. It is believed that by imposing capital punishment for the offence, people would be deterred from committing the offence. This paper reviews the crime of kidnapping, tracing the circumstances leading to its present rampancy. It also evaluates the effectiveness of death penalty as deterrence to crime. Relying on the continued, increased and sophisticated practice of armed robbery in the country in spite of its being made a capital offence since the 1970s, it concludes that imposing death penalty for the offence of kidnapping will not solve the problem. It further points out that the real solution to the problem lies in dealing with the root causes of the problem. Practical and effective solutions to the kidnapping saga in Nigeria were consequently proffered.

Religion: A Vital Element for Curbing the Menace of Kidnapping in Nigeria for Human Development

Human capital development has been the most powerful tool for national development; however, Nigeria has been weighed down by the menace of kidnapping which is militating against human development. Kidnapping of people for ritual or extortive or ransom purposes cut across all classes of people - children, foreign workers, traditional rulers government officials, religious leaders medical practitioners, lecturers, politicians and some commoners. This phenomenon has enriched the perpetrators who now contend with the nation in the arena of legitimate use of force and monopoly of violence. The menace of kidnapping is a reflection of moral decadence in Nigeria hence the need for religious studies which inculcate the right moral values such as honesty, hard work, value for life and good human relations which generate peace in the society. It also infuse sanity into the fast decaying nation, prevent the citizens from being social deviant, curb kidnapping and enhance human development. The aim of this paper is to emphasize on the importance of religious studies in curbing the menace of kidnapping. The method used in gathering information concerning this work is the secondary source such as text books, newspapers and electronic media. Findings show that poverty, social; deprivation, frustration – aggression unemployment, lack of youth empowerment and lack of moral values in the lives of many youth led to the menace of kidnapping there should be provision of employment and empowerment opportunities for youth and Religious bodies and the government should educate the masses on the sanctity of life and good human relations.Keywords: Religion, Human development and kidnapping