Senate Deputy President Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has stated that the insecurity situation in Nigeria was being blown out of proportion by politicians and their foreign collaborators.
Speaking at one-day workshop Wednesday on ”Peace ,Security, Unity and National Reconciliation “organised by the Global Initiative for African Development (GIFAD)” in Abuja, the senate deputy president said compared to cases of kidnapping for ransom in other countries, the situation in Nigeria was largely minimal.
According to him, whereas kidnapping for ransom is 100 per 1000 persons in the USA, 147 per 1000 in the France and 230 in the United Kingdom, in Nigeria it’s about .0024 percent of 150 million persons of such cases.
Represented by his Senior Special Assistance on Strategy Security, retired Col. Melvin Abe, Omo-Agege said those seeking political capital have taken advantage of the minimal cases of kidnapping to create fear and tension in the country.
“The fact remains that many Nigerian detractors internationally also take undue interest in blowing its problems out of proportion even in cases where in their own countries those vices are worse.
“It is very important that we realise when to play politics and when to avoid utterances and actions that have the potential of diminishing us as a people.
“The unfortunate thing is that these negative campaigns that blow the vices out of proportion create so much tension that scares people away from their legitimate endeavours.
“Many farmers, fishermen, traders and all kinds of market people are being threatened off their bidding with a corresponding threat to food security in the same manner, school enrollment is threatened,” he said.
While admitting that there were indeed pockets of kidnapping for ransom and other vices, Nigeria has been mischievously ranked with Mexico the kidnap for ransom capital of the world, adding that even so-called peaceful Sweden has an average of 47 kidnap cases per day.
He therefore called on Nigerians to cooperate with the federal government to contain cases of kidnapping and other tendencies inimical to the society as well as proffer solutions to end all forms of criminalities.
Delivering the welcome address, the GIFAD chairman Board of Trustees (BoT), Dr Onwubuya John A. Breakforth, said the body decided to gather people to brainstorm on the issue of security because without security there would neither be peace and development in the country.
He said stable society could be possible if there is security, adding that the nation would hardly attract foreign investment if the threat of insecurity continues.
