Outrage trails kidnappings in Delta

WRITTEN BY JOE OGBODU, WARRI

THERE is anger in Delta State owing to the spate of kidnappings.

The residents yesterday raised the alarm over the precarious state of insecurity.

The security situation has been getting worse for months, thereby paralysing economic and social activities, particularly in Warri, where the residents now hurriedly close their businesses and retire home in the evening.

The situation is also crippling night life in the city.

The residents blamed the situation largely on security agents and the government. "Investment has been declining and Warri is sinking by the day with the growing state of insecurity," said a resident who preferred anonymity.

He added: “People are being kidnapped and robbed on daily basis in Warri and the government is doing nothing about it.”

Worried about the situation, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan set up the State Waterways Security Committee to tackle the scourge, as well as oil bunkering and sea piracy, but a few weeks ago, the state governor disbanded the committee, ostensibly because of the growing security concern in the state and the need to restrategise.

Although members of the committee got monthly votes to compliment the efforts of the security agents, yet, kidnappers and robbers have been on the rampage in the state prompting the government to wield the big stick recently.

Besides, medical doctors yesterday decried the spate of kidnappings in the state saying it sad.

One of their own, Dr. Ngozi Chibuikem, was seized by kidnappers at the weekend.

They were bitter that the state government failed to arrest the situation.

The medical workers consequently called on the Inspector-General of Police and other security chiefs to wade into the situation.

An official of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the state, Dr. Ferdinard Oshonwo, while speaking with newsmen yesterday described the situation as sad and pathetic, adding: “Kidnapping a doctor is like kidnapping 30 persons at a time, which is bad and may pose danger to the society. The act of kidnapping is very rampant in the state.

"We, therefore, call on the state government to take drastic step to curtail the unscrupulous act so that the society can be a better place to live in.”

Oshonwo, however, accused security personnel of conniving with the kidnappers, saying "often, security agents connived with the kidnappers to do this evil act".

Similarly, the Warri chapter Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gweke Akudihor, has lamented that the state government and security agents have failed to nip in the bud the alarming cases of kidnappings and killings in the state.

To this end, the NBA chief said the chapter has decided at a crucial meeting to sanction any lawyer who defends suspected kidnappers and murderers.

He said: “We took the fundamental resolution that lawyers in the area will no longer defend cases bordering on kidnapping and killing because they are acts of terrorism that do nobody any good.”

Akudihor said that any lawyer who fails to comply with the order would be sanctioned, adding: “It is unfortunate that Nigeria is confronted with acts of terrorism and it seems to give the impression that the government does not know what to do.

"We understand clearly that the problem did not start with this present administration. Regrettably, the Nigerian government has not been taking this worrisome issue seriously”.

Akudihor, however, suggested that jobs be provided for the teeming youth, who are jobless, lamenting that kidnappings and killings were capable of destroying the fabric of the society.

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