Why Kidnapping thrives in Nigeria 
Published on December 11, 2012 by pmnews · 12 CommentsThe Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) for Lagos and Ogun, Mr Mamman Tsafe, has attributed the high rate of kidnapping to payment of ransom by relatives of the abducted.
Tsafe told newsmen on Tuesday in Abeokuta that it was important for relatives of victims to trust the police and show understanding in the rescue operations.
Tsafe, who was in Abeokuta as part of his routine visit to formations under his commands, said: “When you pay ransom to kidnappers you are only telling them that they are in the right business. We implore relatives to believe in us rather than discuss with kidnappers,’’ he advised.
He called for the cooperation of relatives of kidnapped victims as well as public-spirited individuals in the fight against kidnappers.
He said it was important for citizens to provide information that could help the police in tracking down not just the kidnappers, but also other criminals in the society.
The AIG said that Lagos and Ogun commands had been adequately equipped to tackle the menace of armed robbers, and to make both states safe for all and sundry during the Yuletide period.
“We understand that the government of Ogun is making roads, and banks are relocating; we are adequately prepared and I will not like to disclose our strategies.
“In addition to our normal routine patrols of banks and other strategic places, we also have taken some measures to check criminals and make our people sleep with their eyes closed.
He stated that some suspects had been arrested in connection with the killing of five policemen in Ogun in November, adding: “they are giving us very useful information that could lead to more arrests’’.
“They have confessed that their gang had killed more than 11 policemen across the country, but we don’t want to talk too much for now,’’ he said.
Tsafe urged residents to go about their normal duties, saying that the police were on top of the security situation in both states.
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If the POLICE responded in a timely fashion and followed up on all major crimes maybe the people will trust them. In many instances, the police is involved directly or indirectly appearing hours after the crime. Sometimes the police takes a PENKNIFE to a GUNFIGHT. What does this boy expect? It is difficult to trust police officers always asking for bribes rather than doing their job. Has this man Tsafe gone around his jurisdiction in disguise? Armed robbry and Kidnapping are on the rise in the South West, yet the house of assemblies do nothing, until the crimes hit home. Wait till the speakers wife, kids or governors children are kidnapped. The country Nigeria is going to the dogs, no rule to follow leads to criminality. What da hell is Jonathan and his failed cabinet doing? Are we going to blame Boko Haram for the daily Kidnappings in the South East now rising in the South South and South West? Or did Buhari ask yorubas to join armed robberry gangs, or perhaps he told the police to be a failure in protecting our citizens so Janathan can have it rough? We all should hold Jonathan responsible for our collective security which he is unable to do. PDP is a failure, and the sooner Nigerians realise this, the better. nigeria has gotten worse with every year PDP remains in power, and yet the church blames witches, wizards, powers, Buhari, Boko Haram which has only carried out attacks in the norths backyard. Other than Boko Haram in the north terrorising their fellow northerners and burning churches, we in the South are killing as many of our brothers as Boko haram kills up north. Think clearly, if Boko Haram was raised for the sole purpose to be a thorn in the flesh to Jonathan, why only bomb the North? Even these Boko Haram are a thorn to many Northern elites who hide away in the Southwest especially Lagos for safety.
But to the police we the citizens of Nigeria ask you to take this country back from kidnappers, armed robbers, Boko Haram, Oil bunkeres and corrupt politicians. When these politicians are arrested, place handcuffs of their wrists and ankles, and stop making deals with the subsidy thieves. And prosecute Farouk Lawan, rather than hope Nigerians are so stupid they will eventually forget about the member collecting bribe, or should we call it extortion. Lastly please shoot these armed robbers dead before the corrupt Judges set them free.
POLICE IS OUR FRIEND
Enemy number one and if you trust goodbye to your life
nigerian police are criminals too, 1 robbed me at gun point in uniform, who i go report to? same oga that sent them out for money
No light, No CCTV Camera, No Fingerprint and AIG is talking of security 4rm Police that people shd go and slp, even inside their own house no camera, NIGERIA JAGA JAGA
I will never trust the Nigerian Police and I don;t know how many Nigerians will. Rather than trust the police I will only trust God for my protection.On several occasion I have seen policemen mounting blocks just to rob innocent citizens of their hard earned money and nobody raised an eye brow. When criminals are hunted by fellow criminals in uniform, it becomes a game.For so many years we have been hearing the same old story of police claiming superiority over robbers, kidnappers, 419ners and their likes but yet , the crime rate is rife.An idle mind is a devil workshop. Let government repair roads, create jobs for massive employment. This will lessen youths involvement in crimes. Someone that goes to work in the morning and comes back by 6pm will be tired and will rest so he can wake up early back to work where is believe he will be gainfully paid.If report of corruption by government officials and politicians are made daily on pages of newspaper and on the internet without arrest or prosecution , tell me what will discourage criminal tendencies.Nigeria problem besides marriage of inconvenience, is also exacerbated by Nigerians themselves.Everybody blames Jonathan for every crime committed by Nigerians.Market women and men do not inflate your prices, Banks do not overcharge your customers, PHCN give light before you give over bloated bills, taxi drivers do not overcharge your passengers, diesel and petrol tankers association, do not divert this products to other countries to make more money rather than supplying it to Nigerians. What about the Judiciary? Have they convicted any politician involve in corruption? Have we not seen their connivance and crime abatement? What of Nigerians working at the airport, they ask for bribe and sea port workers intentionally withhold clearance of common goods imported to the country.Is that Jonathan fault. Students cheat in their exams and lecturers sleep with female students in exchange for marks.There is anarchy in the land and except Nigerians decide to change, not even the division of the country into 100 smaller countries will solve the problem.The plague facing the Nation now is endemic and need corroborative effort of all and sundry to restore peace and tranquility.
i dissagree with you James. We have weak Leader, hence all the rots in our society today. The Leader we have is only interested in the Presidency rather than finding solutions to all the rots that had plagues the Nation. It was not like this when Baba Obasanjo rules for eight years. Jonathan should seek better advices and heed to good one that would help him move the Nation forward.
I will be happy to see the much needed change in the country but how will it come when all politicians are busy stealing money and sharing it with their cronies? How will crime rate reduce when the police are nothing but criminals in Uniforms. Who give police guns to armed robbers to use in the night? is it me or my wife? No, the guns don;t just disappear and enter criminal hands. When robbers attack innocent citizens and emergency call are made to the police, they will tell you they don’t have fuel in their vehicles. But they will have fuel to drive and collect money from drivers along highways.They will have time to arrest people who go about doing their normal business , send them to jail and collect money for bail. Mr Mamman Tsafe, put your house in order before you request for public trust and confidence.
Without trust, words become the hollow sound of a wooden gong. With trust, words become life itself
The best way to reduce corruption among police officials is to control it through various prevention strategies and introduce reforms every time. This is not easy as the reform must look at the organization as well as political and task environments. One thing is certain; you cannot completely judge the whole police force because of a few corrupt individuals. Agreed there are rotten eggs among them.
1.A proactive approach is necessary if police corruption was to be effectively
addressed.
2. An independent internal investigative police unit is the most effective and
efficient structure for tackling police corruption.
A simple integrity test for officers in uniform will reveal that even high ranking officers are not clean.’Integrity’ is tested in that a police officer will be presented with an opportunity to commit misconduct or corruption without realising that they are being monitored closely. Once that is revealed, send them to jail.Publicly execute arm robbers and convicted corrupt politicians. Then, and only then will crime stop in Nigeria!
The man is playing to the gallery as if he does not know his constituency well.
While leadership matters, the problem is that we have a corrupt society. A corrupt society produces a corrupt individual,a corrupt system that produces a corrupt policeforce, a corrupt senator,corrupt governor and goes on and on…you get the picture?
To change this, we have to go back to the basics of reintroducing ethics and civics in out elementary shool corriculum, imbibe those principle into the children while they are still young.
Parents and guidiances would also have an atitudinal change to say the least. And do not expect an instant result since the rot is bone-deep.
To give you an example why it is a society issue. I was in the country about a year ego. On my way out, I booked and paid N30,000 to a transport company in the East to take me to lagos the next day for my onward jouney abroad. I specifically asked for a van(toyota Sienna) because I had logagges and had two other passengers traveling along. Guess what, when my transport arrived the following morning to pick me up, it wasn`t a van but rather a nissan compact car with no shocks and barely enough room for lugages. When I called the company, all they had to tell me was ” am sorry sir”. as that was surposed to solve my problems. Now I paid premiun price for minimun service. Jonathan didn`t cause that. If this same individual or organisation were to be in goverment, the result will be about the same or worse.
What I am trying to say is that individual member of the society will have to take repsonsiblity in whatever capacity he or she may find themself in the cause of our jouney as a nation. A just, equitable and civilised society is not just based on materialism alone, but rather greatly on the superior mental atitude of the people.