Afenifere decries renewed kidnapping, other criminal activities in Nigeria

The renowned pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organization, Afenifere, has said there is an urgent need by the Federal Government and security agencies to be more innovative and decisive.

Afenifere stated this in a statement on Saturday while reacting to the recent reports of banditry and kidnapping in Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Oyo, Kogi, Zamfara, and Niger States.

 

The statement issued by Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, urged President Bola Tinubu to take proactive actions towards tackling the ravaging security issues.

 

Recall that on Monday, May 13, about eight cocoa farmers were kidnapped at Marindoti Cocoa Farmers’ Settlement in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State.

 

Three students of Millicent Secondary School in the same area on their way to write their Senior Secondary School Examination, were also kidnapped on the same day.

 

There have been other incidents of kidnapping and other criminal activities across the country recently.

 

Reacting, Afenifere said that there is the urgent need to dig deep into the roots of the menace and to be decisive in applying the necessary measures.

 

Part of the statement reads, “The starting point is to probe into the motivation for kidnapping and related banditry. Three identified motives are economic, ideology and politics. Each of these has sub-strata and sometimes interlopers.

 

“For instance, the economic factor of banditry could have a territorial claim as an underpinning. It can also be as a result of some interests wanting to assert political superiority.

 

“These are relatively easier to deal with if the authorities and the people in the given area are committed to dealing with it.

 

“The other aspect is one based on ideology. Most of the time such an ideology is religious or faith-based. In a situation where a given person is brainwashed to believe that only those who share the same ideology with them are qualified to live freely, the authorities and the society have a lot of work to do.

 

“As stated, sometimes the line between economic, ideological and political reasons for terrorism or kidnapping gets blurred. While the reason may sometimes not be so clear-cut, the means of subduing the menace can be handy if the authorities are desirous of putting an end to the menace”.