Kidnapping Epidemic: Tinubu Meets Service Chiefs

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday evening held a closed-door meeting with service chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting, OSUN DEFENDER learnt became imperative following renewed cases of kidnapping across the nation.

Tinubu who departed Transcorp Hilton, where he attended a book launch met the service chiefs led by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.

Others attending the meeting include the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogala, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Heads of other security agencies are also at the meeting.

Recall that between Thursday and Sunday, January 7, 2024, no fewer than 85 persons, comprising both travellers and residents, were reported to be abducted by terrorists at Katari along the Kaduna – Abuja highway near Katari, in the Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

It was also gathered that more than four residents were killed by hoodlums.

The most recent of such cases is the reported kidnapping of six sisters alongside their father in Abuja on January 9, 2024.

It was gathered that the abductors later released their father, instructing him to raise N60m as ransom for the release of her daughters before Friday, January 12.

Nigerians were urged on X (formerly Twitter) to donate any amount into a designated bank account, but not enough money was gathered as of Friday.

Consequently, the hoodlums reportedly killed the oldest of the six girls, Najeebah, and three others including a 13-year-old school girl ( Folorunsho Ariyo) and dumped their bodies along thee Abuja-Kaduna Road.

The kidnappers, who cited delays in paying the demanded N60m ransom for each of the victims, have now reportedly increased their demand from the families of the remaining seven victims to N100m ransom for each one of the victims.

News of Folorunsho’s death however caused an uproar among Nigerians who called on the authorities to bring an end to insecurity in the nation’s capital, noting that the territory had never been so unsafe.

Meanwhile, In a statement she personally signed on Monday, First Lady, Remi Tinubu, urged security agencies to intensify efforts in rescuing the remaining five sisters still held hostage.

“I implore our security agencies to intensify their efforts in addressing the pressing matter of kidnappings and insecurity in our nation. The safety and swift return of the Al-Kadriyar sisters and others in captivity should be our paramount concern,” she said.

The President alongside his security chiefs are  expected to review the current security situation and ways to tackle them.