Worried by the unprecedented rates of armed kidnappings for ransom payments in the Federal Capital Territory and other parts of Nigeria, a Civil Rights Advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has tasked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to set up a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate sponsors behind the trade.
The group in a statement by Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, its Coordinator on Sunday, said “the successes recorded by armed kidnappers and the sophisticated nature of the weapons these kidnappers wield, demonstrates without much shadows of doubts that the leaders of these various syndicates making a kill from these terrorism business are key influential persons in the different arms of the security forces. “
HURIWA said the inquiry should also focus on why kidnappers are successfully using telecommunication to negotiate and receive huge ransom payments without the security forces ever flagging them down using the information technology equipment which the police claims to have procured for over a decade.
The Rights group said the systematic collapse of intelligence amongst the security agencies is a symptom of the deeper issues of conspiratorial collaboration between these societal undesirable elements and some key officers in the security forces, no doubt. HURIWA therefore believes that the time has come for the President to take this decisive step to expose, arrest and prosecute these moles working with terrorists and kidnappers whilst operating as security operatives.
HURIWA stated that “since the National Assembly that statutorily ought to probe these types of serious security threats that have become pervasive and perennial, have abdicated from this constitutional duty, the President being the Head of government and the elected person charged with the command and control of the armed forces of Nigeria since the heads of the security agencies are answerable to him, it is incumbent that in discharging his primary constitutional obligations of protecting lives and property of Nigerians.
“it is imperative that the president must provide the enabling environment for the unveiling of the hidden factors and personalities behind the seemingly unending cases of armed bloody kidnappings.”
