ABUJA – Senate of the Federal Republic yesterday, summoned the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to appear before them over increased cases of kidnapping and act of hostages in the country.
The IGP is to brief its relevant committees on activities of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) that are targeted at resolving the security challenges posed by kidnapping.
Apart from inviting Arase, the Senate also condemned kidnapping in its entirety and commiserate with those who have lost their loved ones to kidnappers and urged traditional institutions, religious authorities and all Nigerians to be more vigilant and to participate more actively in the security of the country.
It further resolved to make frantic efforts at reviewing the extant laws on kidnapping with a view to imposing stiffer penalties on the crime.
The Senate also resolved to invite the Ministers of Labour and and Productivity and National Planning, National Directorate of Employment and other relevant government agencies to brief it on deliberate and actionable plan of government in reducing the current employment deficit in the country.
This followed adoption of a motion: “The unfortunate recurrence of kidnapping and hostage taking in Nigeria- a national wake up call”, aimed at reviewing extant laws on kidnapping, to provide for stiffer penalties on the crime.
Leading debate on the motion, Sen. Uba, noted with displeasure, seeming prevalence kidnapping in Nigeria and pointed out that the incidence have assumed dangerous dimensions.
He observed that kidnapping was cancerously spreading to all states of the federation, asserting that it was the primary purpose of Federal Government to provide for security and welfare of Nigerians, as stated by Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“The general rate of insecurity in the country is worrisome, thereby taking away some merits from the successes that we have so far recorded in Nigeria’s counter terrorism war against insurgents in its North-Eastern region. The situation is now such that while the North battles with insurgency, the South suffers from incessant episodes of armed robbery, kidnapping and assassinations.
These vices are beginning to assume the toga of legitimate business for unemployed youths, politically aggrieved persons and other equally greedy individuals. The payment of ransom to these criminally-minded persons has emboldened the practice of hostage-taking, as it is now fancied by many as lucrative business.
There is need for the Nigeria Police to rise to the occasion and see kidnapping as akin to terrorism. We, however, reckon with the expediency of equipping the various security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police with effective tools of security.
Calculated policies targeted at ensuring job creation, employment, entrepreneurial development and empowerment for the youth population in Nigeria seem elusive. As leaders at such a time in Nigeria’s history, we must all strive towards the attainment of a just society, with equal opportunities for all,” Uba said.
In his contribution, the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Ibn Na’Allah, observed that the consequences of kidnapping are too enormous.
“The matter is to let us know that the issue is a collective one,” he added.
– (Nigerian Observer)
