Open letter to President Buhari on kidnappings By Abdurrahman Ashiru

My frail heart continues to break and my eyes reduced to tears with every passing day as tens of hundreds Nigerians continue to wallow in an unimaginable life of hopelessness, helplessness and haplessness; thousands of them have long forgotten the meaning of ‘happiness’, innumerable died and continue to die of the unending physical and emotional trauma and several other family ties of the victims torn apart basically due to incessant cases of abductions.

Never in the history of Nigeria has such rising wave of the menacing social monster of kidnapping been witnessed, so prevalent that the media outlets have begun to treat reportage on it with levity so worse that it no longer makes a hot breaking news as it used to be.

The problem therefore continues to be a commonplace, with cases of wanton abductions across Nigeria becoming widespread like a wildfire.

Yet, a plethora of cases would go underreported or unreported at all.

Everyone’s life is at stake (insecurity to one is insecurity to all) with the exception of those few sacred cows who ply our deplorably dreaded roads in heavily armed convoys.

Why must we therefore, remain silent and feign ignorance of this wholesale calamity? Why can we not battle and combat harder until the criminal underworld and their masterminds are rooted out and prosecuted accordingly? How much longer should we continue to bow to the wanton sacrilege meted out by these marauding villains called kidnappers? The presidency has to bring forth the most effective and lasting solutions to these societal ills before the situation degenerates into an intractable phase.

The time is now, and it is now or never for the presidency to pursue the much needed counter-kidnapping operation!! The ICRC has condemned in strongest terms the murder of Saifura Husaini Ahmad and demands the unconditional release of the other two ladies still in captivity.

We, concerned Nigerians, have vociferously condemned the diabolic act and demand same from the presidency in addition to the compelling needs to swiftly set the necessary machineries to motion in bringing the savages to their heels.

And, if truly the protection of lives and properties still remain the top item within the purview of the CHANGE government’s key priorities as is equally its statutory duty, and, if it cares and has concern over this human tragedy, the federal government, then, ought to dispatch a delegation to Maiduguri to condole with Saifura’s family in kind and in cash, so also the Borno State government; otherwise, many would come to the conclusion that only the protection of the lives of the ‘chosen few’ can be genuinely guaranteed in Nigeria – which therefore, adduces enough testimony to the country’s flagrant disregard for her citizens.

From the look of things, ruthless kidnapping is assuming not only endemic shape, but also becoming a burgeoning lucrative and money-spinning venture with many invisible profiteers.

Despite all the military operations and other security agencies’ patrols going on, the menacing social monster keeps flourishing with every single minute that elapses – the good job these security agencies are doing is not good enough and thus the need to work harder and make new strategies by injecting more financial and technical commitment into the operation and forging a robust media-security synergy and efficient mode of information handling and reporting.

And, may I have the honour to remind his excellency of the promise he once made shortly after the release of the University of Maiduguri lecturers and policewomen at Presidential Villa, that his administration would do everything humanly possible to rescue all abducted Nigerian citizens – I feel enlivened any time I remember this covenant due to the fact that I never doubt the president’s sincerity and integrity.

We still hold on to the hope instilled by your promise.

On the final note, my prayer goes to the deceased, her family and all those afflicted by the menace of abduction, we therefore implore your excellency sir, to bring together all the necessary tools to rescue Nigerians in captivity and to fish out all perpetrators and bring them to book, so as to reap what they sow and as a deterrent as well.

Ashiru, MBBS (BUK) writes from Kano

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