By OKOSUN DENNIS
IN a brazen manner, they strike with no resistance from the security agencies or individuals. They seize people whenever they deem fit without looking back. Kidnappers now target everybody – both the high and low –ferrying them away into captivity until ransom is paid to secure their freedom.
For the past few years, Isheri North, a developing town bordering on Lagos and Ogun states has become notorious for its criminality, becoming possibly one of the most dreaded places in the South West Nigeria.
Kidnapping for ransom in Isheri has suddenly become a flourishing business for criminal gangs, criss-crossing the creeks and riverine areas, and linking several Nigerian states on water. Regrettably, the security agencies have always been taken by surprise as most of their actions have been mainly reactive rather than proactive.
As they snatch people violently, payments of ransom are made almost exclusively, directly too, by family members. In most cases, moneys are funnelled through a network of proxies, most times. Our reporter gathered that a man whose younger brother was recently kidnapped and had to negotiate with the criminals said they are a networking chain the security agencies need to work assiduously to break or else the war against kidnappers would be long to overcome.
Isheri North
In recent times, Isheri has witnessed high property appreciation hence there is a sudden influx of people. Besides, it is strategically located as a boundary spot between Lagos and Ogun states respectively. With about 11 estates scattered within the swampy area and with media houses as well, it attract daily prominent individuals who are either residents or go for business ventures. However, according to a Crime and Safety reports survey carried out by the Cleen Foundation, a non-partisan public policy think tank revealed that ‘‘Kidnapping and attempted kidnapping dropped from 3.3% in 2011 to 0.2% in 2012. In 2012, 3.3% residents in rural areas experienced threat at gunpoint,’’ the survey revealed.
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Unfortunately, despite the ban on commercial motorcycle operation, which many residents especially in Lagos attributed to the surge in kidnapping cases in the past, the criminals often escape with their victims on motorbikes. The ban has not reduced cases of kidnapping in Ogun and Lagos states.
Police Response
So many criticisms have been heaped on men of the Nigerian police for their lacklustre attitude to fighting organised crime in society especially as most kidnappings happened before police react or make families of victims to part with ransom before suspects are arrested.
However, Zone 2 AIG Abdulmajid Ali told National Daily that the force have depleted the effrontery of kidnappers as the number of cases have been reduced to the barest minimum compared to few years ago.
Particularly, he expressed concern about the Isheri kidnap of the four landlords saying that the force have effectively lay siege on the road as they cannot dare his men hence they have resorted to the use of the waterways. He added that they are working in consonance with other security agencies to deal with their buffoonery within the creeks.
As part of his initiative to check the excesses of criminal elements, he explained that the inauguration of Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS) with state- of-the-arts facilities was to enable the force check the malfeasances.
Unfortunately, some security experts decried this. Despite visible police ubiquity, their seeming incapability, has reduced them a largely reactive force rather than proactive. Sadly, serious lack of resources and having the right communications equipment undermine their effectiveness.
It is suggested that if there must be effective policing of all the nooks and crannies of the country with potential ability to decimate the activities of kidnappers, there must be a holistic new approach that would encompass local security service like the vigilante group and neighbourhood watch. As it is presently constituted, some critics say relaying on the police solely might not fast track the war on kidnappers as most of them live in places where police cannot easily access or get information hence community policing should be exploited to advantage.
Recent kidnaps
Without doubt, no one is immune to being kidnapped. As far as these criminal elements exist, people will continue to be vulnerable. Incidentally, investigation revealed that most communities are targeted hence places like that are dreaded by day and night. The recent kidnapping of four landlords last Saturday, 17th September, 2016 while having aerobic session, at Oshorun Heritage Estate has thrown up cacophony of reactions and confusions especially with ransom tag of N12 billion. However, with their release on Friday coupled with the payment of ransom further heightened the tension. The victims were Kennedy Ucheagwu, Dr. Omololu Bello, Fidelis Esang and trainer Coach Oni were whisked away by gunmen who were said to have been dressed in military camouflages during their routine exercise at Oshorun estate behind Lekki Gardens Estate, Isheri.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 10 prominent people have been kidnapped in that axis and taken to Ikorodu and other places where they were kept before ransom was paid. Narrating his ordeal recently, Richard Awuwa, a security expert explained how he negotiated the release of his younger brother who was kidnapped at Isheri in January while driving into one of the estates and held for a week until they paid N3 million to secure his freedom.
Berating the police for not doing enough to protect the lives of Nigerians, he claimed that despite the avalanche of technology, it was sad that a criminal gang would use the same phone number for about six days negotiating with victim’s relations and nothing was done by the police – even when they were informed – to track the criminals working in consonance with GSM providers.
Kidnapping affecting social life
To adequately fight criminal gangs, there must be collaborative security efforts by all stakeholders. The festering era of kidnapping, no doubt, has left so many businesses comatose. While some business moguls have relocated while some are contemplating doing so just to save their lives and business from damnation. A visit to Isheri and other communities indicated that night life is gradually declining as people no longer keep late nights unlike before. Even though most kidnappings take place during the day; the activities of men of the underworld have had significant negative impact on social life.
Recently, an Ijebu-ode business man was kidnapped and held for four days. After paying through his nose to secure his cherished freedom, he put his business empire on sale and relocated abroad. Segun Oyebolu, while describing the level of insecurity in the state as worrisome, said he had no option than to shut down his businesses. With over N2bn extracted from families of victims in the last five years and close to 500 people kidnapped across the country and over 50 people said to have been killed, it is only an urgent proactive steps that can extricate more people from falling victims.
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Kidnapping for ransom has spread across the length and breadth of Nigeria, like a fire, threatening to consume the soul of the country. Social life in the state has been reduced to the barest minimum as Isheri is assuming the headquarters of kidnappers in the South West.
Apart from residents taken forcefully by kidnappers, investigation further revealed that most people kidnapped outside the state are either kept within Isheri and Ikorodu until ransom are paid. A glaring example was the wife of the Osun State Speaker House of Assembly and the younger brother of Richard Amuwa.
What to do
The AIG Abdulmajid Ali, Zone 2 Commander has said that kidnappers have stared the hornet net and murdered sleep saying that they would no longer be at peace as the command are doing everything possible to track those still using the creeks to perpetrate crimes. Some Ibafo residents who spoke with National Daily observed some lapses in police deployment along the axis. Ojo pointed out that if the police must achieve remarkable success in the fight against kidnappers between Lagos and Ogun, and by extension other parts of the country, they must re-strategize and use plain vehicles and no uniform at all to serve as a decoy.
It was learnt that when one Joel, a landlord was kidnapped in Gideon village in his house, few days later his neighbour, Lucas, was also kidnapped. So much could have been done by the police to either thwart the kidnap or get the culprit arrested if they had deployed effectively, an angry resident explained. However, it was learnt that while Joel was kidnapped on July 9, his neighbour, Lucas, was abducted on July 19.
While proffering solution to the myriad of kidnappings in the area, Amuwa commended the police but was quick to add that they should exploit existing technology to track the criminals. This, AIG Ali explained, they are maximising to their advantage, but he preferred to be silent on how they are deploying the technology.