By Mukhtar Garba Kobi
It is no longer news in Nigeria that travellers are abducted on their ways to various destinations. From the time kidnapping commenced, many innocent lives were lost and huge amounts of money were paid as ransom. Lackadaisical effort of government to end kidnappings make it always on the rise. If authorities could adopt the following measures, kidnappings would be a thing of the past. The measures are:
1 First of all, security forces should be provided with sophisticated modern arms and armouries, they would help them to carryout their task effectively.
2. There is need to install many check points: Stop and investigate points would help in fishing out erring drivers that deliver travellers to kidnappers (whom in return end up owning the cars they are driving).
3. More troops need to be deployed: Joint work by military, police and local vigilantes is pertinent as one hand could not lift a roof. They should collaborate and work assiduously with one another to end incessant kidnappings.
4. Government should ensure that all commodity entries to bandits are closed: Hunger and thirst know nobody, inaccessibility to foods or water by bandits would make them feeble and when security strike they could be easily defeated.
5. Arrested kidnappers must be indepthly investigated, getting more information on them are key to destroy them. Killing kidnappers without knowing their sponsors or informers living in cities is like killing a snake without cutting off its head.
6. During raids, there is paramount need to lay siege at all escape routes, surrendered kidnappers should be disarmed and arrested. Anyone that try to run or fire at forces should be immediately eliminated.
7. Kidnapped victims that escaped and willing to help security force should be welcomed, some of such them could easily identify ways to kidnappers’ dens and their services are important.
8. People in surrounding communities where kidnapping frequently occur should be encouraged to report suspicious activities or persons around them, their identities should remain unknown and they need to be protected if criminals start threatening them.
9. Arrested bandits that are found guilty in the courts of law should be decisively dealt with (life imprisonment or hanging), this would serve as deterrent to their fellows that are still in the act.
10. After bombarding kidnappers’ hideouts, infantry soldiers need to go after those that try to scamper for safety and clear them.
May Nigerian Forces Succeed. Amen