The recent surge in insecurity within Nigeria, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory, has led to an alarming increase in civilian abductions by armed bandit and terrorists.
The victims’ families, faced with the distressing situation, have resorted to crowdfunding on social media platforms to gather funds to pay the hefty ransom demanded by the gunmen for the release of their loved ones.
This concerning development has prompted widespread questioning among Nigerians regarding the efficacy of utilising technology in the nation’s ongoing battle against insecurity.
Insecurity escalates in Abuja, others as Nigerians crowdfund for ransom
The residents of the FCT, Abuja, have been living in fear for the past few weeks with the surge in the number of attacks and abductions by bandits.
One of the disturbing cases was the abduction of six sisters and their father in the Bwari Area Council. One of them, identified as Nabeehah, was reportedly killed by the abductors.
Adamu Asiya, a cousin to the kidnapped sisters, shared the news of the abduction and the loss of an uncle during the incident on Wednesday, January 3, 2024.
Two days later, she informed the public that the father of the girls was released by the kidnappers with a ransom of N60 million demanded for the release of the young ladies. Subsequently, the hashtag #Najeebaandhersisters was initiated to crowdfund the demanded N60 million.
A few days later, Asiya, the cousin of the kidnapped sisters, announced on X that one of the sisters, Nabeeha, had been killed by the kidnappers after failing to meet the ransom payment deadline.
Reacting to the development, Isa Pantami, immediate past minister of communications and digital economy, announced that his friend has agreed to pay N50 million from the ransom demanded by the abductors for the release of the girls. Despite raising the ransom, the girls hadn’t been released at the time of filing this report.
Also in Abuja, kidnappers killed a 13-year-old girl, Folorunsho Ariyo, on Monday after the parents refused to pay ransom for her release.
Aside from the FCT, kidnapping for ransom is still going on in Kaduna, Nasarawa, Sokoto, Zamfara, and other parts of the country.
Some of the corps members abducted by terrorists in Zamfara since August last year are yet to be released.
The corps members were abducted while travelling from Uyo, Akwa Ibom, to Sokoto State in an Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) bus to participate in the mandatory National Service.
Coupled with kidnapping, terrorists are still killing Nigerians in some parts of the country, particularly in the North-central. The Christmas Eve attack in the Mangu, Bokkos, and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State is the latest one.
Using technology to fight insecurity
During the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the Federal Government mandated that citizens link their National Identification Number (NIN) with their mobile numbers. This NIN-SIM linkage measure, aimed at enhancing security efforts, also extends to the linkage of the personal identity number with bank accounts, driver’s licences, international passports, and various official documents.
As the security landscape continues to face challenges, there is a growing consensus among Nigerians urging the government to harness the potential of technology more effectively in its fight against insecurity. The call for leveraging advanced technological tools and data integration is seen as a crucial step in fortifying the nation’s security apparatus.
In emphasising the importance of technology, citizens highlight the need for a comprehensive and interconnected system that can trace and monitor criminal elements effectively. The linkage of NIN to mobile numbers, bank accounts, and official documents is perceived as a strategic move to establish a robust framework for tracking individuals involved in criminal activities.
Despite these measures, the recent wave of abductions has intensified the demand for a more proactive and efficient deployment of technology to counteract the prevailing security challenges. Nigerians stress the significance of continuous advancements in technology to stay ahead of criminal elements and ensure a safer environment for all citizens.
Security operatives not using NIN-SIM policy to track kidnappers – Pantami
Ali Isa Pantami, ex-minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has asserted that the surge in kidnappings, which has been on the rise lately, is attributed to the underutilization of the NIN-SIM policy by security operatives, a measure his administration actively implemented.
Pantami said this on his X account a few days ago while responding to a query about the usefulness of the policy amid rising insecurity in the country.
Contrary to criticisms, Pantami argued that the policy has proven effective. He highlighted three specific cases where the policy contributed to the success of operations.
He suggested redirecting inquiries to the pertinent institutions combating criminal activities, questioning why they might not be leveraging the policy more efficiently, particularly when responding to criminal incidents.
“On the lack of utilisation, I am more worried than anyone; as my life was threatened by criminals for reintroducing it, including on BBC Hausa and national dailies, I resisted and ensured its implementation. If it is not being utilised by the relevant institutions in charge of securing lives and property, then I am more frustrated than any person, as I sacrificed my life and ignored all the threats to life. This is just a point out of 100 on the policy,” he said.
Stop paying ransom to kidnappers – FG warns
During a press briefing after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, minister of defence, Muhammadu Badaru, called on Nigerians to refrain from making ransom payments to kidnappers and bandits.
Badaru emphasised that such payments could encourage criminals to demand more, posing a threat to public safety. He added that paying ransom to kidnappers is against Nigerian law.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu, during a meeting with service chiefs on Tuesday, instructed security agencies to escalate their endeavours in eradicating those responsible for criminal activities in society.
In 2022, the Senate passed the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013 (Amendment) Bill into law, particularly amending Section 14.
The section says, “Anyone who transfers funds, makes payment, or colludes with an abductor, kidnapper, or terrorist to receive any ransom for the release of any person who has been wrongfully confined, imprisoned, or kidnapped is guilty of a felony and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than 15 years.”
Experts react
Lai Omotola, the group managing director of Masters Reality International Concepts Ltd., blamed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) for the lack of a sufficient database in the country.
Omotola said the commission was not effective, the reason why security agencies are finding it difficult to track criminal elements in the country.
He lamented that many Nigerians are yet to be captured in the database and that only a robust database can be effective for monitoring the security situation in the country.
“Their (NIMC’s) inability to get a database of the entire country is the reason why security agencies don’t have enough databases to track people down,” Omotola said to BusinessDay.
Speaking about the inability to track down criminal elements captured in the database, Omotola highlighted a lack of tracking devices and manpower as major challenges faced by security agencies.
He added that the security agencies are overwhelmed with requests but can only attend to a few.
He said, “The people during this job are overwhelmed; they have close to a thousand requests on a daily basis; how many are they going to attend to?”
On the issue of paying ransom to kidnappers, he said, “When security fails, the next thing is to preserve lives.”
He argued that the government can’t stop Nigerians from paying ransom if they are unable to stop kidnappers.
Omotola concluded by advocating for a non-kinetic approach to address insecurity in the country. He said economic hardships and unemployment are major causes of insecurity in Nigeria, urging the government to provide employment opportunities for the youth.
Captain Blade Aliyu (rtd) said insecurity keeps worsening in Nigeria because it is profitable. He added that kidnappers are now millionaires and own private security outfits.
“Bandits and militants are cashing out big time, so why should we expect any less banditry?
“Nigeria is the headquarters of kidnapping. What’s happening in the country is only encouraging bandits and militants,” Aliyu told BusinessDay.
Engineer Martins Onovo, a former presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP), said lack of political will is the major reason behind insecurity in Nigeria.
He said the federal government is not ready to take the bull by the horn.
Onovo argued that the federal government knows those behind insecurity in Nigeria but is not ready to hold them accountable.
He pointed out that the United Arab Emirates sent a list of terrorism sponsors to the Nigerian government a few years ago but the government refused to prosecute those indicted.
