Why Kidnappings, banditry persist in North

some northern children are presently captives in kidnappers’ den….

The recent kidnapping of the Kajuru emir in Kaduna State with some members of his family has shown the high level of insecurity in the country. Although, he was later released, the situation, no doubt, has left many in doubt concerning President Muhammadu Buhari’s solemn oath to secure Nigerians.

Mr. President, with due regard to your exalted office, recent unfolding happenings constrained me to tell you loud and clear that kidnappers have remained stubbornly resolute in their bid to wreak havoc on innocent people. Precisely, if a ruler of a whole community such as Kajuru isn’t safe from kidnapping, then who is? People from most parts of the north-western states are living under palpable fear of being attacked, or kidnapped by heavily armed bandits.

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Activities of kidnappers, armed bandits and other criminal elements have continued to cripple most of our daily activities. Abductors have become a cog in the progressive wheels of the North. It’s deeply exasperating how criminals are having a field day with no scruples to attack, kidnapping innocent citizens at will. For fear of being abducted, some of our children have deserted schools with no intention to return.

To cut it short, some northern children are presently captives in kidnappers’ den receiving harsh treatments, every kind of molestation, harassment with no end in sight about their release. Kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities rage on in some parts of the North and more worrisome, it’s going on smoothly unchallenged.

Commuting through the lengths and breadths of some north-western roads is now frightful. We have abandoned rural communities living at the mercy of armed bandits as if they don’t share the same right with urban communities. In some rural areas, some of their places have been deserted thereby becoming no-go areas with rampaging bandits daily killing, unleashing dreadful activities, and making large scale abductions.

With scores of people being kidnapped and killed on daily basis, particularly in some parts of Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and FCT, I don’t think one can imagine this could happen under Buhari’s leadership. Are we not capable enough to flush out the criminals from their hiding places? Why can’t we deploy adequate troops to secure rural communities against the harmful, injurious, well-armed devastating bandits? Are rural communities not Nigerians? In spite of the presence of complete security apparatus, some roads of the Northern states have now been forcefully taken by happy menacing marauders, thereby forcing innocent citizens to abandon those roads. It’s utterly disgusting to hear that it is now a common trend to see people in various mosques and other gatherings begging to raise ransom to librate their family member (s) held captive in kidnappers’ den.

Although, I’m now sitting on a layman’s chair concerning the country’s constitution and judicial processes, but if it takes President Buhari to take another oath of office for him to redeem his pledge to liberate us from the hands of kidnappers and bandits, let it be. Besides the oaths they took, during their swearing ceremonies, I think there is the need for President Muhammadu Buhari, governors of Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Kebbi and Zamfara states respectively to repeat a second oath of office.

Taking another oath of office might eventually serve as a reminder to them to dutifully serve their citizens.

Abbas Datti writes from Kano