Curbing Kidnapping in Nigeria: An Exploration of Strategic Peace Building Tools

Abstract

The increasing growth of kidnapping inNigeria has become a strong threat tonational peace and security. It has affected the national image of the state and has eaten deep into every region and segmentof the nation. This work unveils howidentity fanaticism and political violence led to emergence of economy of violence referred as "kidnapping” in Nigeria. Upon this circumstance, the paper argues that peace building is a potent strategic tool that can eliminates kidnapping and other terror related crime from Nigeria by ensuring that violent actors and their sponsors embrace peace while exploring other non-violent mechanisms for resolving such differences that trigger kidnapping in the Nigerian state. It adds that adequate public information process, a behavioural change messages and actions that return the mindsets of of kidnapping into the life of rule of law and peaceful coexistence, eliminates the network of organized crime used by kidnappers to carry out its nefarious activities. Essentially eradication of kidnapping restores security climate for establishment of democratic culture, promotion of national development, and foreign direct investment.

Legal Reflections on the Downsides of Global System for Mobile Communication as a Boost to Crime of Kidnapping for Ransom in Nigeria

“…16 It is a menace that threatens the national peace and security of the State. 17 It has exposed Nigeria to insecurity among the nations of the world. Over the years, it has become a reoccurring event in Nigeria with its prevalence in South East, South-South and the Northern part of Nigeria.…”

Kidnapping In Nigeria, The Impact On Girl-Child Education

“…In the Niger-delta region for instance, kidnapping was targeted at foreigners from European, American, and Asian countries to raise awareness on the economic and environment conditions of the region (Ani & Nweke, 2014). However, kidnapping may be engineered by groups agitating for political liberty such as the FARC rebel group of Columbia (Rubio, 2004).…”

“…Scholars have highlighted that, no matter the intentions of the kidnappers, the terror impact on their victims cannot be overlooked (Ene, 2018). Furthermore, these kidnapping used to generate awareness of the Nigerian government and the world to the environmental impact of oil exploration on the region soon became used for financial exploitation (Ani & Nweke, 2014). According to a former Inspector General of Police in Nigeria, an estimated 100 million USD was paid as ransom to abductors between 2006 and 2009 (Ene, 2018) showing a worrisome rise in the level of kidnapping in the country.…”

The adequacy of the legal framework for combating money laundering and terrorist financing in Nigeria

“…Moreover, terrorism and banditry are predicate crimes to money laundering. Terrorists and bandits demand, collect and launder all their ransom money, and this creates insecurity and financial integrity challenges for the Nigerian state and the Nigerian financial markets (Osasona, 2021; Ani and Nweke, 2014). Apart from kidnapping for ransom, terrorists and bandits in Nigeria commit other predicate crimes to money laundering, such as smuggling of goods, drug trafficking, bank robberies and the collection of tax and/or “protection fees” from Nigerian residents (Tiwari et al , 2020; Attah, 2019).…”