Socioeconomic effects of kidnapping on the development of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State. Nigeria

The study examined the socio-economic effect of kidnapping on the development of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 150 respondents from ten communities. Primary data were obtained using structured questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The result shows that all of the respondents had formal education while majority (63.0%) were male and, of average age of 44years. Results show that the major causes of kidnapping in the study area are moral decadence/quest to get rich quick without work (x̅ =3.47), cultism/quest for supremacy (x̅ =3.43), politics and insecurity (x̅ =3.37), proliferation of arms (x̅ =3.26) and unemployment (x̅ =2.94). Kidnapping pose very serious effect on all the socio-economic indices such as: Psychological/emotional trauma (x̅ =2.61), indebtedness of the victims’ family, unplanned relocation of people (x̅ =2.46), financial loss through payment of ransom / protection and forceful closure of businesses (x̅ =2.35), amongst others. Inadequate/ill equipped anti-kidnapping squad (x̅ =3.78), army of unemployed youths (x̅ =3.60) complicity of some security agents (x̅ =3.56) and poor security network (x̅ =3.55) inhibit the eradication of kidnapping in the study area.The study recommends that there should be collabouration between government, communities and other stakeholders for value reorientation.