Checking Rising Rate Of Kidnapping

The kidnapping of a frontline Anglican Archbishop in Rivers State, Bishop Ignatius Kattey recently, brought to the fore the absurdity that now drives criminality across the country. At the rate things are going, if drastic measures are not taken, and urgently too, everyone may have to resort to self-help.
When the likes of mother of the serving Finance Minister, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and  prominent human rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome were kidnapped, the speculation was that Nigeria was up against high profile kidnapping, but stories of how even primary school teachers were being kidnapped in one of the Niger Delta states with reckless abandon makes it imperative to sound the alarm.
Only recently, some foreigners working for the Rivers State fish farm in Asari-Toru Local Government Area were also kidnapped. Sadly, in nearly all the cases, some innocent lives were lost, while the security community is often caught napping and helpless.
The Tide is surprised at the spate of kidnapping across the country, especially after some measures were said to have been taken to frustrate criminality in the country. For instance, in order to monitor the funding of hard drugs and even money  laundering, the banks were supposed to provide information on heavy cash movement.
After these number of years, Nigerians cannot tell of the efficacy of that policy. The  questions would be: if the banks are co-operating with the authorities or with the defaulters. Also begging for answer is whether those who get the information know what to do with such information or are plain negligent.
The other policy was the registration of every SIM card that is to be used in the Nigerian telecoms industry. One of the promises was to make information available to security agencies on demand and perhaps trace calls and identify the exact location of anyone found to be operating outside the law.
We believe that with these policies alone, kidnapping would become un-attractive, while those who indulge in it would have no place of escape, nor find excuses to present before the courts. But with the apparent smooth and successful operations by people usually addressed as un-identified gun men, it is difficult to credit the policies.
This, therefore, calls for a change of tactics, attitudes and contacts in the way security matters are handled in this country. Clearly, the time has come for the security of this country to be driven by intelligence. The usual “post-motem policing” has served to embolden criminals and left the citizens ever so vulnerable.
There are suggestions that the telecom firms actually assist in tracking down some criminals, but a lot more is required because the police had also complained over the lack of synergy that would have helped to detect and deter crimes. To this end, we expect the National Communication Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to sanction institutions under them that fail to support the security efforts of the country.
On the other hand, the police must look for ways of involving the populace in the provision of security for everybody. The situation where people still fear to volunteer information to the police does not help anyone. The security agencies across the board must know how to manage information, honour informants and be polite to suspects, while being firm and professional.
While we commend states like Rivers State that have committed so much to providing operational and logistic support to the security agencies in their states, the growing spate of insecurity that is often blamed on un-employment and the likes should not deter them. Indeed, it should be the reason to do more.
Even so, we expect the police to investigate closely some public comments that tend to suggest that some persons or institutions may be behind the kidnap cases or robberies in parts of the country. Such persons should be encouraged to assist the police, while those who use such comments as smoke-screens or to divert the attention of the police should also be made to face the law.
On the whole, the issue of security should be seen for what it is – a responsibility of all. Nigeria will continue to miss the point if the issue of security is left in the hands of the police or the Department of State Security or the military. In futility would people blame and abuse the government for not stopping criminality. The time has come for everyone to think security, contribute to the safety of the next person and support the government to get it right.