In October 2010, a traditional ruler and a
college provost were abducted in Ekiti
state by a gang of kidnappers. While the
bandits were taking the victims to a hideout
in Delta state, a fatal accident occurred at
Kabba in Kogi State. Both victims were
killed while the kidnappers were seriously
injured. The criminal elements were
promptly arrested by the police and charged
to court by the Kogi state ministry of justice.
Although the trial court ordered that the
kidnap suspects be remanded in prison
custody, they escaped last year during a
violent attack on the Lokoja prison by
unknown gunmen.


Shortly after that, the wife of the Speaker of
Osun state was abducted in Osogbo. She
was later found by a vigilante group in Ogun
state.

In Lagos, the chairperson of Ejigbo
local government was
abducted. He was released upon the
payment of a ransom of N15m. Since then
several persons have been kidnapped and
released upon payment of ransom
negotiated by their family members.


Notwithstanding such incidents of
kidnapping the south-west zone was
considered relatively safe. But the crisis of
insecurity of life and property in the region
became exacerbated after the 2015 general
elections following the retrenchment of
hundreds of armed political thugs and the
escape of a number of prisoners at the
prisons in Ado Ekiti, Akure and Sagamu in
the last couple of years.
The few kidnap
suspects who were arrested were not
charged to any court by the police while the
prison management did not declare any of
the prison escapees wanted.


No doubt, the kidnap of Chief Olu Falae, a
former secretary to the federal government
in his farm in the outskirt of Akure, Ondo
state last month added a new dimension to
the kidnap saga in the region. Embarrassed
by the development President Mohammadu
Buhari directed the Inspector-General of
Police, Mr. Solomon Arase to secure the
release of the Chief. Barely 24 hours later
Chief Falae regained his freedom after the
payment of ransom by his family.
Upon his
dramatic escape from captivity, Chief Falae
disclosed that his abductees spoke "good
English". Based on such disclosure it is
doubtful if the criminals who kidnapped
Chief Falae are Fulani nomads. However,
Chief Falae announced last week that his
farm had been invaded vi et armis and taken
over by a group of Fulani nomads. In a
classical display of impunity, the Nigeria
Police Force has failed to dislodge the
lawless group.


Instead of calling on the security agencies to
enforce the law by arresting and prosecuting
the group, some Yoruba leaders threatened
that the south-west region would secede
from Nigeria if Fulani nomads are not
banned from entering the region! It is
unfortunate that the senior citizens who
issued the threat did not address the legal
implications of their demand.

It ought to be
pointed out that every Nigerian has a
constitutional right not be expelled from any
part of the country. Leaders of the various
ethnic groups should be worried over the
involvement of educated young men and
women in the menace of kidnapping
throughout the country.
Chief Falae is likely
to be pained that the illegal occupation of
his farm by a criminal gang may degenerate
to civil disturbances between Yoruba
farmers and Fulani nomads.


More so, that Chief Falae was at the 2014
National Conference where it was
unanimously agreed by delegates that "In the
long term cattle routes and grazing reserves
be phased out to lay emphasis on ranching "
and that states which have large livestock
populations should "endeavor to maintain
grazing reserves."

It was further resolved
that "An integrated development and
livelihoods modernization program should be
designed and implemented to address the
issue of settling nomadic herdsmen into
settled communities based on established
cattle ranches with fodder development
technologies, and including abattoirs,
processors and other businesses along the
livestock value chain." The
recommendations have been ignored by the
Federal Government.


> It is on record that not less than 10,000
heads of cattle are consumed in the south-
west daily. The majority of the heads of
cattle are brought in malnourished having
been made to walk hundreds of kilometres
from the northern part of the country.
Instead of issuing threats the Yoruba leaders
ought to have mobilized the south-west
state governors to set up ranches and
abattoirs for the production and distribution
of meat in the region. For instance, through
a PPP arrangement a modern abattoir, the
largest in Africa, was built in Ibadan, Oyo
State in 2011.

But due to some inexplicable
reasons the state government has refused to
allow the abattoir to function. The Ekiti state
government once had a ranch. It was
established by the Adekunle Ajasin
government in the second republic. But it
has since collapsed due to lack of
maintenance. This is not the time to resort
to diversionary or escapist solutions to
man-made problems. The ruling class
should be compelled to address the
challenges of establishing livestock, grazing
reserves, ranching and modernization of
pastoralist or nomadic livelihood in line with
the aforesaid recommendations.


In conclusion, the police should move
speedily to dislodge the armed bandits who
have seized Chief Falae's farm. The Yoruba
leaders should consult with the south-west
state governors with a view to addressing
the increasing wave of insecurity of life and
property in the region. All prison escapees
should be declared wanted and fished out by
the police. Governments should embark on
the massive creation of jobs for the army of
unemployed youths. In addressing the crisis
of policing the country, state and local
governments should be allowed to set up
security outfits. Since northern governors
are worried over cattle rustling, their
southern colleagues should link up with
them with a view to having a holistic
approach to the establishment of grazing
zones, ranches and abattoirs. Unless these
measures are adopted, the country will
continue to witness insecurity of life and
property.
Femi Falana SAN.

source- http://saharareporters.com/2015/10/11/beyond-chief-olu-falaes-kidnap-femi-falana