Nigeria now kidnapping capital of the world? Kayode Ogundamisi

Kidnapping is now a big business in Nigeria and what is worrying is how underreported the scourge is, what you read in the media are simply a very low percentage of the real case of abduction in Nigeria.

A friend’s father in-law who is a retired public servant, over 70 years old, he came visiting the UK and simply refused to return to Nigeria.

Here is a man who is not only comfortable back home but ALL is children are upper class professionals, he loves his country and he served his homeland, he deserves to rest in his old age and live in peace. When I met with him, he stated that not less than 9 of his friends have either been kidnapped, or have relatives kidnapped and the least ransom paid was 35 Million Naira.

He even mentioned a case of ransom being paid trough a local Divisional Police Officer (DPO) who advised them not to involve the press.

I also had a friend who returned to Nigeria from Scotland to join a local telecommunication firm as an IT consultant, when he was leaving Scotland he called to proudly announce his departure and emphasised he’s glad to say good bye to the UK. He left with his family, his returning 14 year old daughter was kidnapped and not only did he pay for her safe return but he was locked up for alleging police complicity and non action. Now he’s back in the UK. Sold his inherited properties in Nigeria and now job hunting, when he called me, I could sense fear and frustration, he said “I AM NEVER GOING TO DISCUSS NIGERIA EVER AGAIN” all trough the time of the trauma, the kidnapers threatened to rape his 14 year old daughter, an innocent girl, born in the UK but happy to be in Nigeria a country where she’s not known as an “ETHNIC MINORITY”. Now that young girl can only remember the dingy den of kidnapers and her 23 days of trauma.

Nigerian Law makers must expedite action in increasing the prison terms for kidnapers, we have to recognise that it is now becoming an epidemic and that kidnaping is now not limited to the upper class of society, I read of a young boy kidnapped in Abule Egba Lagos Nigeria and the kidnapers demanded a ransom of 200 thousand Naira.
The kidnapers finally let the poor boy go and settled for 140 thousand Naira (£600) when the teacher father told them they could keep the boy.

From information available, bank officials are proving to be tools in handling funds for not just kidnapers, but other fraudsters, if we are to attract the best of our diaspora community we have to put our acts together, checking kidnaping is also in the interest of Nigerians based in Nigeria. It is a rising terrorist act that must be nipped in the bud.

True we have a ruling elite that are kidnaping our commonwealth daily but that should not be a reason for evil to reign supreme in our homeland.