Nigeria does not feature among the top 10 countries with the most severe kidnapping cases – Onanuga

Onanuga expressed his views in an opinion article published on Wednesday amidst escalating security issues and economic challenges in Nigeria.

He argued that, according to available data and statistics, Nigeria is safer than both South Africa and the United States. Onanuga highlighted that Nigeria does not rank among the top 10 countries globally with the highest rates of kidnapping.

He encouraged citizens to recognize the government’s ongoing efforts to combat insecurity since 2009, emphasizing that the security agencies in Nigeria deserve acknowledgment for their work in addressing kidnapping, banditry, communal violence, and terrorism.

Onanuga noted, “Our security forces have contributed to making our nation relatively safer, especially when compared to South Africa or the United States, where last year alone, there were 44,310 gun violence-related deaths.

“South Africa is currently experiencing more severe security issues than Nigeria. In 2023, there were 15,343 reported kidnappings in South Africa, with Gauteng Province alone recording 7,818 incidents. This is a significant increase from the 3,822 cases in 2013, and the numbers have been rising since then.

“Murders and gun-related deaths are also alarmingly high in South Africa. The rate increased by 35 percent between 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. In the fourth quarter of 2023, 6,289 people were killed. An average of 70 people were murdered daily from January to March 2023, and over a year, this figure averaged 75 killings per day. Official statistics show that 27,272 people were killed during this time, with 11,347 shot dead.

“Carjacking is another area where South Africa leads globally, with 18,000 cases in 2020 and 22,742 cases in the last year, marking an eight percent increase from 2022.

“When we compare these figures to Nigeria, our security forces have been making commendable progress. From July 2022 to June 2023, Nigeria witnessed 3,620 kidnappings in 582 incidents. In 2022, there were 4,616 kidnappings and 4,545 people killed by criminals.

“The World Population Review report does not list Nigeria among the top 10 countries with a ‘kidnapping epidemic.’ Turkey tops the list with 42 kidnappings per 100,000 people, followed by Lebanon and Kuwait. Canada, Belgium, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, Eswatini, and the UK complete the top 10. Nigeria’s rate stands at 0.334 per 100,000.

“Every life is invaluable, and any kidnapping is a serious concern for the government, as it has always been for our security agencies and leaders tasked with ensuring our safety.

“In my opinion, they have been performing commendably. Contrary to criticisms, President Tinubu has been actively supporting security agencies, providing them with necessary resources, rather than being indifferent to the incidents of kidnapping or violence.”

“In recent weeks, we have seen the police setting up a Special Intervention Squad, equipped with drones. The DSS has stepped up its anti-kidnapping act, rescuing 154 abducted people in the last few days.”