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Kidnapping In Nigeria
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 3]
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In the early traditional Nigeria society, human sacrifice perpetuated
kidnapping. Ugwuoke (2010: 197) rightly asserts that individuals were
kidnapped for ritual or social reasons. The African traditional
worshipers solely believed in sacrificing to appease the gods. The
sacrifice may transcend animal sacrifice, and the priest could be
inspired by the gods to order for human beings; to accomplish this kind
of sacrifice, the required person could be kidnapped and killed in a
sacrificial procedure. Ugwuoke explained that kidnapping was mainly for
the purpose of sacrifice either to appease the gods or for the burial of
a prominent chief or warrior. Precisely, to carry out a successful
burial of important citizen like chiefs and prominent warriors required
human head. Hence, warriors engaged themselves in search of victims to
be kidnapped. Besides Nwadiorah and Nkwocha (2011: 3) observed that the
act of kidnapping increased in Nigeria after the Nigerian civil was in
1970 which exposed many youths with military experience to some
criminality. The above account reveals that kidnapping is very old in
the history of man as it is also recorded in section 364 of the Nigeria
Criminal Code.
Though kidnapping is not new, and has been in Nigeria
criminal statues, ransom kidnapping is a new trend and was not known in
Nigeria until recently. Moreover it was obvious in 2006 when it was
announced that foreign oil workers were kidnapped (Inyang, 2009).
However, those expatriates were released after paying huge ransom in
millions of naira. Since then, kidnapping for ransom has spread to most
parts of Nigerian states and Enugu East Senatorial District is also
affected by it. Many people have been kidnapped and only released after
the payment of ransom while in some cases dead bodies were recovered.
Igwe Uche Nwaechime, the proprietor of Mac Royale Hotels ltd, from Nkanu
West Local Government , Enugu State was kidnapped and slaughtered by
the kidnappers. His body was found by a search party at a refuse dump
site on the Enugu Port Harcourt express way (Ugwulebo, 2011). Dr. Paul
Edemobi, the proprietor Paul and Grace Foundation and brother to Prof.
Dora Akuyili, was kidnapped in Enugu on Monday 1st December 2008 from
his 10B Savage Cresent GRA Enugu (Ojukwu, 2011). The wife of Sam Ngene,
the then Chairman of Enugu South Local Government Area was kidnapped on
March 2009. Also, Nkem Owoh, the popular Nollywood actor was kidnapped
along Enugu-Port Harcourt express way (Ugwulebo, 2011). Payment of
ransom, tragic recovery of dead bodies and other facts and events as a
result of kidnapping shapes peoples perception of the crime.
Furthermore, Anosike (2009) stated that the incidence of kidnapping is a
common occurrence in the eastern states. Anosike also noted that states
ranging from Abia to Anambra and Enugu were greatly alarmed by the wave
of kidnapping.
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 3]
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