KIDNAPPING AND KELVIN’S ARREST

It should be used as a lesson to teach all that crime does not pay

Notorious suspected kidnapping kingpin, Mr. Kelvin Oniarah (alias Kelvin Ibruvwe) and five members of his gang were last week apprehended in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. According to a statement by the spokesperson of the Department of Security Service (DSS), Ms. Marilyn Ogar, Kelvin was responsible for several of the recent prominent kidnappings, including that of human rights activist and lawyer, Chief Mike Ozhekome (SAN) and Dr. Chudi Nwike, a former Deputy Governor of Anambra State, who was killed while being held captive.

We commend the efforts of the security agencies which culminated in the eventual arrest of this suspect whose activities have for months wrought terror in Delta, Edo, Rivers and Anambra States where he allegedly led an extensive operational network. But the value of his arrest would only be in the information the security agencies can extract from him and his successful prosecution in court to serve as deterrence to others.

That is important because the arrest of Kelvin is coming at a period the wave of kidnappings in the country has become extremely alarming and a most lucrative criminal enterprise. From politicians, to judges, medical doctors, journalists, lecturers, businessmen, Nollywood actors, senior government officials and their close relatives—almost everyone is now at risk. A day hardly passes without reports of the kidnap of some prominent personalities or their relatives. And these are even the ones that make the headlines. There are so many others who are less prominent or not considered important enough to attract media attention yet not a single person has been legally brought to justice for this heinous crime.

In the past, kidnapping in our country was restricted to some ante-diluvian ritualists. Over the years, however, it has metamorphosed into a thriving business enterprise, beginning with the abduction of expatriates as part of the Niger Delta agitation. Today, anybody with a value that could be placed on his or her head is a potential target and these criminals operate not only in urban cities and towns but also in our villages with any and everybody as potential victims. So pervasive is the crime that there are reports of people who now arrange their own kidnappings to extort money from relations and friends.

With the activities of terrorists in a section of the north and the menace of kidnappings in a section of the south, our country now faces a huge security challenge that requires the cooperation of all Nigerians. While we commend the relevant security authorities for their renewed efforts to combat the crime, we are nonetheless worried by the paucity of information on the number of arrests, prosecution and convictions of the perpetrators of this most heinous act. And clearly the police, the judiciary, legislature and other policy makers could do more to checkmate this growing threat. We recall that in a most recent case, one of the suspected kidnappers, allegedly shot dead when police invaded their hideouts, was on bail for a similar case at the time. 

However, as we have reiterated again and again, our various communities have a critical role to play in putting a stop to this rapidly growing criminal enterprise by providing useful information to security agencies. Also, our security agencies should act with urgency or deploy all necessary and available resources not only when big names are victims. They must always act on time and in all cases.

No doubt, the security challenges confronting the nation at this time are enormous. From the pockets of unending violent communal clashes to the activities of deadly armed bandits and terrorists, the list is endless. Adding kidnapping to this inglorious list suggests a total collapse of law and order. We therefore call on all the relevant stakeholders and indeed all Nigerians to see this as a serious challenge that we must all tackle together.