War on ranson kidnapping in Abia
Thursday, January 6, 2009

For some time now, the language of scape goating and choleric engagement has defined the discourse on crime and security situation in Abia. Antagonists and the opposition including, a fickle section of the print media have stingily criticized the state government for being cavalier in confronting the ransom kidnappers.


These and other sundry accusations, have been spiteful, irascible and demonstrate a crashing failure of judgment on the aetiology, sociology and origin of kidnapping. It smacks of mischief, ignorance, or a combination of both to the posit that the malaise is exclusive to Abia.

What we have on ground today albeit localized and is limited to some 2/3 local government areas, is an alien, copycat criminal behavior whose origins are traceable to violent cross border,urban terrorist sub culture, Time and space will not permit an in-depth analysis but a few historical and contemporary examples would elucidate an understanding and management of the problem.

Between 1879-1919, in the United States of America, child stealing, abduction, and kidnapping were widely reported in the Mississippi, New York, New Jersey areas. In 1932 the baby girl of Charles Lindberg,{then reputed to be the most famous man in the world} was snatched by a kidnapper who after collecting a ransom got the hapless child killed.

In Mexico, kidnapping is big business, with an average of 900 abductions in 2007, translating to one kidnap victim every 90 seconds .The hot topic in Manilla, Philippines today is your money or your life situation. The Chinese –Filipino kidnap gangs recently abducted a University of Philippines, student daughter of a plastic and foam manufacturer who reportedly paid $1 million (USD) . The examples are legion: from the Somalian pirates, to the bandits in Kashmir who in 1995 kidnapped five european tourists they brought to grief .

Back home,militant groups in the oil rich Niger-Delta region fuelled by ransom takings, went haywire with kidnap of foreign oil workers. In 2007 they seized over 150 foreigners including a 3 year old British girl (Miss Margaret Hill). Nigeria is now rated as second to Iraq as the country with the greatest risk to oil workers.

The original motive force of driving attention of the horrendous living conditions in the Niger Delta has gone to the dogs. For a better part of 2006/2007, Rivers State was under siege from all, manners of gangsters, who feuded, maimed, kidnapped, in the Port Harcourt killing fields.

Like a creeping cancer; entrepreneurial kidnapping spread to neighboring states like Imo, Anambra, Abia, and Enugu where Igwe Uche Nwachime, a Royal Father in Nkanu West local government was abducted and butchered in cold blood.

The proprietor of Grand Riveri Hotel, Enugu was kidnapped but was released after the ransom payment of five million naira.The younger brother of the NAFDAC chieftain was recently captured. His captors are reportedly asking for thirty million naira.

In Abia a few example could be cited such as the snatching of the ENYIMBA club chairman Anyasi Agwu, and ersthwhile ASUBEB Chairman Comrade Iruke, and a host of Abia state top functionaries ,fueling speculations that some nefarious anti government saboteurs, could be the ragamuffins perpetrating this abominable behavior.