Nigeria, a West African nation often plagued by kidnappings and violent crimes, has ranked better than some developed countries like Canada and the United Kingdom in a global kidnapping index.
According to a report by the World Population Review, a US-based data website, Nigeria recorded 0.5 kidnappings per 100,000 people in 2023, placing it 125th out of 168 countries in the world. In contrast, Canada and the UK had 10.3 and 8.8 kidnappings per 100,000 people respectively, ranking them 4th and 9th in the world.
The report, which used data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), stated that kidnapping rates vary from country to country, and are influenced by factors such as murder rate, frequency of rape, and whether or not a country is at war. It also noted that the definition and reporting of kidnapping may differ across countries, making comparisons difficult.
The report defined kidnapping as the unlawful seizure and detention of a person, usually for ransom or political demands. It distinguished between parental child abduction, which is the most common form of kidnapping in many developed countries, and other forms of kidnapping, which are often politically or economically motivated and more prevalent in less-developed countries.
The report revealed that Turkey had the highest rate of kidnapping in the world, with 42.7 kidnappings per 100,000 people, followed by Lebanon, Kuwait, Canada, and Belgium. The lowest rate was recorded by Japan, with 0.2 kidnappings per 100,000 people, followed by Iceland, Singapore, Belarus, and Hong Kong.
The report also highlighted some of the famous kidnappings in history, such as the abduction of Charles Lindbergh Jr., the son of the famed pilot, in 1932, and the kidnapping of Patty Hearst, the heiress and descendant of the publishing magnate, in 1974.
The report’s findings may come as a surprise to many Nigerians, who have witnessed a surge in kidnappings and other violent crimes in recent years. According to the Nigeria Security Tracker, a project of the Council on Foreign Relations, there were 1,525 reported kidnappings in Nigeria in 2023, up from 1,386 in 2022 and 1,062 in 2021.
The kidnappings have targeted a wide range of victims, including schoolchildren, travelers, farmers, businessmen, politicians, and even traditional rulers. The kidnappers have demanded ransoms ranging from thousands to millions of naira, and have sometimes killed their captives if their demands were not met.
The Nigerian government has faced criticism for its inability to curb the kidnapping menace and protect the lives and property of its citizens. The government has blamed the insecurity on external forces, such as terrorists, bandits, and secessionists, and has deployed military and police forces to combat them. The government has also banned the payment of ransoms, saying it encourages more kidnappings.
However, some experts and analysts have argued that the root causes of the insecurity are deeper and more complex, and require a holistic and multi-faceted approach. They have pointed to factors such as poverty, unemployment, inequality, corruption, poor governance, weak institutions, and ethnic and religious divisions as drivers of the violence and instability in the country.
They have also called for more dialogue, reconciliation, and development, as well as improved intelligence, surveillance, and prosecution, to address the kidnapping challenge and restore peace and security in Nigeria.
Despite the grim situation, some Nigerians have expressed hope and resilience in the face of the kidnapping threat. They have called for more solidarity and cooperation among themselves and urged the government to do more to protect them and ensure justice for the victims. They have also celebrated the safe return of some of the kidnapped persons and prayed for the release of the others still in captivity.
Source: Business Day
