A university don, Dr Oludayo Tade, Saturday warned that Nigerians may elect kidnappers as part of our leaders in 2023 if voters are not careful.
Dr. Tade raised the alarm while delivering lecture at a security summit with the topic: ‘Rising Cases of Kidnapping: Beyond Ethnic Stereotype, Mirroring Local Causes & Solutions held at the SAF Group of Schools’ Hall, at Iseyin, Iseyin local government, Oyo state.
The Criminologist said the time has come for Nigerians to be curious about the personalities of those seeking their votes for political posts in 2023 saying “some of them might be kidnappers that have amassed wealth from collecting ransoms.”
The university lecturer specifically tasked the people of Iseyin and its environs to look inward for solutions, as those perpetrating the evil act live with them.
“As things are going, we may elect kidnappers in 2023, with the successes they record from their operations around the country, we all should know that they now have so much money to do whatever they like, and as you know, they may even vie for political posts,” he said.
Dr. Tade added: “The onus is on us residents to localise our approach to curbing criminalities, especially kidnapping, knowing that our state actors are performing their roles but limited by insufficient logistics in appropriate weaponry, mobility and other inputs. It is important that we give them our support.”
Speaking further, Dr Tade stated that in the past, kids were
kidnapped for ritual purposes, but that in the recent times, it has metamorphosed into money-making enterprise.
The university lecturer then charged residents in and across Iseyin community to collaborate with the security agents and give information about suspicious people and activities, to nip crimes in the bud.
Dr Tade also advised people to stop what he called ‘social media showoff and cooperate with neighboring communities, to avoid movement of criminals flushed out of a particular community into another.
The chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Ahmed Raji, SAN, who was represented by the former chairman of Iseyin local government, Alhaji Saheed Alaran, appreciated the convener of the summit, saying the meeting came at the right time, as kidnap cases have permeated the whole nation and has caused so much negative effects on the local economy.
