ZIK GBEMRE LAMENTS: DELTA GRADUALLY RETURNING TO KIDNAP CAPITAL OF THE SOUTH-SOUTH
The evil of kidnapping has taken a new dimension in Delta State. This is a worrisome trend. Just last weekend two Catholic priests and a prominent human rights lawyer were kidnapped. There are more cases reported.
What a country and an insecure state? How do we expect development with the daily threats to lives? No one is safe in Nigeria. The incoming administration of Ahmed Bola Tinubu has a lot of security challenges to tackle.
Being President is not just about bearing the title of President and Commander-In-Chief, but it comes with far more critical responsibilities. The security operatives are not ready for the challenges before them.
Efforts on fighting insecurity are not being seen. Every time we hear the police boast in the media about investigations and being on top of every kidnapping, robbery and killing but doing nothing meaningful is being seen done practically to prevent and rescue those kidnapped.
Operating with impunity due to slack policing by security operatives, a culture of victims and relatives easily cooperating with kidnappers by showering them ransoms to gain freedom from their dens.
The police are more concerned about cases of two quarreling and delving into rent and debt disputes that are not within their jurisdiction. They are more interested in fabricating offences to enable them arrest the innocent to get ball money.
They seem to abandon their primary duty of maintaining sustainable peace. The Nigerian police are not doing enough in fighting kidnapping and violent crimes in Delta. I am also aware that the police are handicapped in fighting kidnapping and robbery due to lack of expertise and modern intelligence gathering tools and mobility to track and fight crimes.
The entire Warri, Ughelli and environs have become very unsafe, especially on major roads. The kidnaps are rampant and very daring to the extent of some of the gangs dragging victims to ATMs with their cards to withdraw ransoms.
They keep the victims blindfolded in vehicles. While some watch over the victims, others use victim’s ATM cards to withdraw money from their accounts. On some occasions, criminals drive to relaxation spots to rob and kidnap people.
At the time of raising this alarm, Akpo Mudiaga Odje, a prominent human rights lawyer based in Warri has been released after relatives and friends gathered N5 million to secure his release. Warri, Ughelli and the environs have been traumatized by kidnappings and robberies.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes!