IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/arp/tjssrr/2023p18-25.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Kidnapping for Ransom: Nigeria’s Flourishing Industry, but Worst Nightmare

Author

Listed:
  • James E. Archibong

    (Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Nigeria)

Abstract

Kidnapping for ransom is a worldwide phenomenon and Nigeria is not an exception. The problem, now endemic, is a phenomenal substitute for robbery, and one of Nigeria’s biggest challenges. Nigeria today tops the global scale of kidnapping for ransom cases, with 2,371 incidents recorded in the initial six months of 2021. The victims include foreign workers, school children, traditional rulers, clergymen, politicians, and ordinary Nigerians. Apart from the physical, psychological and hysterical impact on victims, it has adversely impacted the economy. The paper examines factors behind the upsurge and the government’s inability to arrest the drift. It has been established that crime is fuelled by a plethora of economic, social, political, and security-related factors, principally unemployment, poverty, and the availability of small arms. Given the current spate of kidnapping and the helplessness of the government, Nigeria is at a crossroads, facing a monster that can consume it anytime. It is recommended that the government should adopt policies to end official corruption, alleviate poverty and fight unemployment. It should also create a responsible and well-motivated security apparatus to tackle kidnapping, in addition to stiff punishment to serve as deterrence.Â

Suggested Citation

  • James E. Archibong, 2023. "Kidnapping for Ransom: Nigeria’s Flourishing Industry, but Worst Nightmare," The Journal of Social Sciences Research, Academic Research Publishing Group, vol. 9(2), pages 18-25, 06-2023.
    • Handle: RePEc:arp:tjssrr:2023:p:18-25
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.32861/jssr.92.18.25
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.arpgweb.com/pdf-files/jssr9(2)18-25.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.arpgweb.com/journal/7/archive/06-2023/2/9
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/https://doi.org/10.32861/jssr.92.18.25?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:arp:tjssrr:2023:p:18-25. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Managing Editor (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://arpgweb.com/?ic=journal&journal=7&info=aims .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.