A security expert, Prof. Oyesoji Aremu, has raised concerns over worsening insecurity in Nigeria, revealing that about 2.2 million kidnapping incidents and N2.2 trillion ransom payments were recorded within one year.
Aremu disclosed this during a public lecture organised by the Social Sciences Students’ Association of Adekunle Ajasin University, where he examined Nigeria’s declining position on global security indexes and the economic impact of insecurity.
According to him, data attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics shows that kidnapping, banditry and insurgency have created a dangerous “ransom economy” across the country.
Representing the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Adebisi Daramola, described the lecture as timely, while the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Adesuyi Adebukola, stressed the need for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to tackle insecurity.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Security Network Agency, popularly known as Amotekun Corps, arrested suspects allegedly disguising as mentally unstable persons to carry out crimes including kidnapping, robbery and drug trafficking.
The Commander of the corps, Adetunji Adeleye, said intelligence reports exposed the suspects’ tactics and led to their arrest.
Also reacting, the South-West Youths Forum warned that rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and farmer-herder clashes are threatening the region’s long-standing peace and stability.
Similarly, the National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Francis Wale Oke, lamented the growing bloodshed and insecurity nationwide, saying Nigerians are increasingly disturbed by recurring killings, insurgency and abductions across the country.
Tags: Kidnapping, Insecurity, Nigeria, Amotekun Corps, PFN, Ondo State, Banditry, Ransom Payments, Adekunle Ajasin University, Drug Trafficking
