Following the rampant spate of kidnappings in Calabar the Cross River capital city, Nigerians resident in, indigenous to as well as those with keen interest in the state have highlighted reasons into and proffered solutions to the security menace in the state NEGROIDHAVEN can report.
This conversation took place beneath a social media thread made by Princewill Odidi the Convener of The National Conversation three days ago where he queried the spate of kidnappings in Calabar. Odidi who observed that kidnapping is becoming a brand for Calabar, disclosed that kidnapping, ‘…is beyond blaming one man. Kidnapping is becoming a brand Calabar is getting known for. It is capable of driving every potential investor away. How best can it be stopped? What are we not doing right and what is it that can be done to stop it?’
Social media users while advancing solutions beneath the thread observed the following: the complaisance of the state government, the security infrastructure in the state not properly motivated, greed on the part of kidnappers, the governor’s abysmal failure in the aspect of security, the entitlement of the leadership of security agencies in the state, poverty, under-employment, etc as the possible reason for kidnapping.
Alleged Reasons underlying kidnappings in Calabar…
On complaisance of public office holder, Obi Joepaul observed that ‘…once kidnapers are arrested, kept in awaiting trail, Government in CRS starts pressurising police authorities to change the charges against the kidnapers for them to be released. And when the police deny them that, they use the chief judge of the state to go grant them pardoned at ATM. One can easily infer that, the state, judiciary and gov’t knew what is happening and the reason why we can’t get a substantive Chief Judge of the state.’
On security infrastructure being poorly motivated, the argument is that the financial resources and logistics for strategy, intelligence gathering and operations meant to curb or nib kidnappings and other violent crime is lacking. Odey Otunu said disclosed that
‘Before the end of Governor Imoke’s tenure, he called a well trained IT expert and he designed a security system that can connect the entire security patrol unit as soon as there’s an emergency, it was called QIS, the essence was to monitor violent crimes within the metropolis, this system is capable of shutting down and recovering a kidnapped person within minutes of report. I visited the Engineer back then, his name is Julius Agrinya, he demonstrated the system to my admiration and I was imagining Cross River like I was watching a movie where America’s Metro PD was alerted that a terrorist was on the loose. Today, that QIS office now houses SPU, a Nigerian Police arm that guides politicians and other influential people. Now, who should we blame? kidnappers, their victims, or government.’
On entitlement of security chiefs one Nkiri Don-Martins alleged that ‘…there’s a percent of money a state budgets for security… Constitutionally security operatives in all states in Nigeria have a particular percent that’s meant to be given to them to help fight insecurity in their said state of operation, the governor knows that… Share security votes with them. They believe that they are entitled to part of the security vote which the governor pockets without qualms.’
On greed, Jeremiah Ekah explained thus ‘The kidnappers are greedy humans who make use of the security lapses for their exploit.’
On poverty, unemployment and under-employment, Emmanuel Akwagiobe Undipeye said that ‘Marian 101 and other revenue points must be reactivated within the metropolis with a human face. The boys around the town has no other means of livelihood again hence the kidnapped option for purpose of meeting their daily means. They grow up to meet this revenue point as their own cocoa, cassava, yam or palm estate. It may go out of hand if measures for survival is not immediately identify for the boys.’
Alleged
Solutions to kidnappings in Calabar…
Nigerians have proposed amongst other things the following: capital punishment, funding and provision of logistics, synergy between the state government and the Nigerian military/para-military, political will on the part of the state governor, shunning nepotism, shunning greed, education, create employment opportunities, community policing, intelligence gathering, and the list continues.
Frank Anoh who reflected on capital punishment proposed thus: ‘every identified criminal should be arrested or killed. The police and the army should be given emergency powers. Also the creeks of Calabar South, UNICAL and Akpabuyo should be properly manned because those are the hideouts of the kidnappers. They often ferry their victims into the swamps so those areas must have 24/7 surveillance facilities or personnel’.
Amba Eba advanced a 5-pronged approach: ‘let the government improve on intelligence gathering. Equip the security agencies in terms of funding, provision of vehicle and incentives to boost their moral. Effective synergy among security agencies. Death penalty to all kidnapper. Community policing in all villages’.
Paul Ingiona Adie said the governor ‘… should be committed to truly empowering the security agencies financially on a monthly basis (Army, Navy, Police and Civil Defence). He should bring back the Homeland Security and make them concentrate on Intelligence gathering. The whole town should be visualised security-wise with military checkpoints at the exit routes and waterways out’.
Agi Peter noted thus: ‘There’s availability of intelligence on the activities of the perpetrators of this crime. Carrying security surveillance in their hide out will help here. Incorporating the security team to be constantly patrolling the town will help out. Let the governor invest in patrol vehicles and carry the leadership of the security team in the state along. There should be constant meetings to review the security challenges. Where possible plant a mole in the camp of the kidnappers. Visit the prison and interview some of the kidnappers in detention and unearth information about their operational experiences.’
Sunny Collins Omagu opined that ‘In the days of Barr. Bassey Okim as SSA to the Governor, I was fortunate to work closely with him. He never joked with intelligence gathering in all the nooks and crannies of the state. It truly paid off in the aversion of some of these criminalities. But successively, the system changed from intelligence to siren blowing. Fund meant for security should be made available to them. You don’t politicised security and expect any meaningful result. State security adviser should be one that commands the respect of security chiefs. The politicians there shouldn’t be intervening in policing measures like arrest and prosecution. The political class have a role to play in curbing this menace.’
For Awesomness Esuabana the state government should: ‘Invest in sound and quality education that can liberate the minds of young people and not keep them bound to a system of peanuts. Eradicate underemployment and create better employment opportunities for everyone even secondary school students. With education vis a vis employment opportunities or opportunities to birth their dreams, poverty will be alleviated and security issues will be curbed.’
Last week, the kidnap of nine residents of Calabar the state capital was reported. Residents now live in palpable fear. The state governor has been charged to be serious with and sincere in addressing the malaise.
