CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. Background Of The Study

Kidnapping is a major challenge faced by most countries in the 21st century. The prevalence of kidnapping has eaten deep into the fabrics of socioeconomic development and national security.  This is especially true of Nigeria; there are frequent incidences of particular crimes, such as sectarian violence, ethno-religious conflict, political assassination, ransom kidnapping, campus cultism and electoral thuggery to human rights violations. Thus, insecurity is rife. Oarhe and Aghedo (2010) emphasize this by claiming Nigerian security agencies have largely been ineffective, which has led to a colossal amount of insecurity and violence in the country. Nigerian police avow that as an institution, it has arrested over a thousand kidnapping and armed robbery suspects in 2017. (Akinloye, 2017) Kidnapping as a security discourse is not new in Nigeria and its prevalence alongside the strain on security it brings needs to be investigated thoroughly (Ngwama 2014; Ebohon and Ifeadi, 2012). To an extent, these assertions hold weight. However, it must be noted that the effectiveness of security in the state is a causal effect of the political order. Politicians are not exempt from the ills they have created through kidnapping. The ineffectiveness of Nigerian security leading to the prevalence of crimes such as kidnapping has multi-causal connotations; among these causal variables, corruption is salient in the reasons and explanation of ineffective security. (Oarhe, and Aghedo 2010).

       There are many types of kidnapping and reasons behind them, such as being politically or financially motivated; the latter can be referred to as ‘express kidnapping’  or incidences where animals or brides are taken. Any of these kidnappings can also take place virtually, in that scam artists convince a victim to believe a kidnapping has already happened over the phone, (Threatrate 2017). However, as previously mentioned, ransom kidnapping and ritual kidnapping will be central to this article; and for this study ritual kidnapping can be understood as kidnapping of human beings for the practice of ritual sacrifice with the belief that the sacrifices provide or generate money for the perpetrators.

       According to Abdulkabir (2017) kidnapping rates have ‘geometrically increased’, in that between 2014 – 2017, it was reported that over 2000 people including young Chibok girls, government officials, politicians and kings were subjected to kidnap. Briggs indicates that kidnapping is now a big business motivated by profit rather than principle (Briggs 2001). In fact, insecurity has assumed a pervading form in the country. The cause of this insecurity, now sophisticated and seemingly intractable, has been attributed to the government’s nonchalant attitude. Adejumo (2011) observed this nonchalant attitude of the Nigerian government in the discharge of its primary responsibility of ensuring security over the years. Little wonder, Bankong-Obi (2012) attributed Nigeria’s intractable security challenges to government’s apathy and inefficiency of the security agencies. Nonetheless, it is instructive to note that insecurity, which has been sophisticated for the Nigerian government to handle, is not peculiar to Nigeria alone. Advanced countries of the world like France, Britain, Switzerland, Germany, Russia and United States of America are faced with challenges of security on a daily basis. This is likened to the challenges of the Nigerian security agencies; because when money is used as a motivation for kidnapping the principle behind the process accounts for little or nothing for those instrumental to the act. In order for security agencies in Nigeria to be efficient, there is a need to overhaul the security agencies and institutions, as previously mentioned; not in the sense of repackaging and ‘cosmetic painting’ of a troubled system, but a total overhaul with international standards trainings for staffs, implementation and priority given to all forms of crime in Nigeria. The imbalances of security focus should be addressed because the disjuncture can pose massive threats to national security.

1. Statement Of The Problem

Insecurity is one of the major problems we are facing in Nigeria. There are so many forms of insecurities but the study will focus on the issue of kidnapping and the national security of Nigeria. There are so many causes to kidnapping; some could be for ritual purpose, for ransom, on marital bases and political ambitions. There are other studies previously conducted on the kidnapping phenomenon. Freeman (2016) studied the incident of kidnapping at the international level but she confined it to child abduction, though she viewed it from the global perspective. File-Muriel (2013) also investigated the problem of kidnapping but set focused mainly on political kidnapping. A closer study was conducted by Uzorma and Nwanegbo-Ben (2014) on the subject of kidnapping and hostage-taking in the South-eastern Nigeria. Their study narrowed it the Southern Nigeria, where the causal factors might be limited to economic while the dominant factor for kidnapping in the South-south is environmental struggle, and in the Northwestern and Northeastern parts could be poverty and terrorism, respectively. It is in view of the above that this present study is centered on kidnapping and implications for national security in Nigeria.

1.3 Aim And Objectives Of The Study

The main aim of the research work is examine kidnapping and implications for national security in Nigeria. The objectives of the study are:

1. To determine the causes of kidnapping in Nigeria
2. To determine the effect of kidnapping on national security
3. To look at the various methods used by kidnappers in Nigeria
4. To investigate the factors affecting kidnapping and national security in Nigeria
5. To proffer a lasting solution to the prevalence of kidnapping and improvement of the national security

1.4 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to ascertain the objectives of the study. The following research questions guide the objectives of the study:

1. What are the causes of kidnapping in Nigeria?
2. What is the effect of kidnapping on national security?
3. What are the various methods used by kidnappers in Nigeria?
4. What are the factors affecting kidnapping and national security in Nigeria?
5. What is the way forward to the prevalence of kidnapping and improvement of the national security?

1.5 Statement Of The Hypothesis

H1: kidnapping has no significant effect on national security

H1: kidnapping has significant effect on national security

1.6 Significance Of The Study

The study on kidnapping and implications for national security in Nigeria will be of immense benefit to the Nigeria security department in creating measures to combat the issues of kidnapping in Nigeria. The study will also help in creating awareness for both the masses and the Nigeria security on the methods used by kidnappers in Nigeria. The findings of the study will educate the general public on the causes and purpose of kidnapping and ways to prevent it. The study will also serve as a repository of information to other researchers that desire to carry out similar research on kidnapping and implications for national security. Finally the study will contribute to the body of the existing literature on kidnapping and implications for national security.

1.7 Scope Of The Study

 The study will focus on kidnapping and implications for national security in Nigeria. The study will cover on kidnapping, the causes and purpose of kidnapping, the effect of kidnapping on the national security from 2000-2018

1.8 Limitation of the study

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work

1.8 Definition of terms

Kidnapping: kidnapping is the unlawful transportation asportation and confinement of a person against their will. Thus, it is a composite crime.

National Security: National security is the security of a nation state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government