With the micro cases of kidnapping activities in Rivers State, the
perpetrators of the devilish act are making us a people of little faith. As
residents, they have been making us to walk the street and not to be
certain what the next minute holds, after an excruciating spiritual
exercise. They are like a mouse feeding on a big python. This aftermath
militancy kidnappers seem to be unstoppable in the state and have hardened
their resolve to attack harder and kidnap people at will, from compounds to
the streets and everywhere. However, they are meeting their waterloos.
The wife of Senator George Sekibo, representing Rivers East District in the
National Assembly, who was kidnapped along East-West road while returning
from the University of Port Harcourt and was later released, typifies the
threat and fate of the residents. Mrs. Asime George-Sekibo perhaps didn’t
had the premonition of what was to come her way on that faithful day with
three other women and a child who were in her company.
Kidnappers are very big fools and senseless owing to the immeasurable
measures Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State have been putting in
place in making sure that the state is a safe haven for all and sundry with
his assiduous fight against the event of militants that once characterized
the state which could be said was the epicenter of the kidnapping
activities in the Niger Delta.
With the recent resurgence of kidnappings in the state, shows that certain
immoral persons are just feeding their hate of Rivers State and the
citizens without any reason for such. Is this not a terrible inferiority
complex that someone would wake up in the morning and all that he or she
could do was to go and kidnap his or her fellow Nigerian for the lucre of
it? This is sympathetic!
The best we had hoped for was that by now such activities would have
abated, but the responses the kidnappers have been giving through their
ugly trade are clear signs of serious looming danger around us. Quite
appalling that people are hungry walking the streets with baked hope
because of looter-politicians which has got a pedigree in kidnapping.
The worst unfortunate thing is that people now rejoice in the misfortunes
of others. What has happened to people! Have people gone insane? During the
period Madam Sekibo was held captive, there was many unconfirmed comments
in certain fora, and among them is: “A job well done by the kidnappers.
While commending the kidnappers on this one, I want to state clearly that
they should not hurt the woman and those in her company most especially the
baby coz they are innocent. The kidnappers should demand for a huge sum of
money as ransom so they can also eat from the national cake. Insensitive
senators! The Boko Haram should concentrate on these thieves so that they
will learn some real lessons in their next life”.
What a comment of animosity! But it goes a long way to indicate the mind of
ordinary Nigerian against his or her leaders. Those that were not
kidnappers have become haters of their environment because of acrimony of
the leaders to good governance. To the people in this negative school of
thought they were of the opinion that the chickens were coming home to
roost and hoped that more kidnappings of innocent citizens might change the
stone heartedness of majority of the leaders to finally understand what the
poverty ridden people of Nigeria are going through. Who was aware that just
recently a senator was robbed at gunpoint by his driver? This is the
garbage of ruins of a nation.
While this writer sees any form of criminality as stupidity and ignorance,
Amaechi should care about the welfare of Rivers residents by walking his
talk. People pushed to the wall will always ricochet like a ball, when they
are subjected to poverty. No honour amongst criminals! Be they looters or
kidnappers. The leaders should grow some brain that some people are not
just happy and are showing their lack of empathy in such act as kidnapping
and militanting and Boko Haraming.
However, we are praying that this anomaly called kidnapping and sundries
should stop. It is no where an economic growth with any potentiality for
export to any Nigerian. While many aggrieved persons will not bother to
condemn this monstrous act of kidnapping, every well meaning resident of
Rivers State should condemn it totally. Amaechi is at least, doing his best
to putting security in place towards a better Rivers State no matter all
the shortcomings that the government is facing, which come with
miscalculation in governance.
Save for all that the state is facing in term of governance, it is a sorry
thing seeing anyone glorifies the kidnappers. Such glorification does not
solve the common bitterness of people against the greedy and wicked
leaders, even though that it shows it. Hence, Amaechi has to reiterate his
pledge of his administration’s preparedness to assist the state police
command to build on the peace and security in the state. He should also
look at the roads again.
Now that he has received the new state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed
Indabawa, he should insist on him to build on the comparative triumph of
his precursor, Sulaiman Abba, as well as convey in his own know-how to
preserve peace and safekeeping in the state. With this we will be
optimistic and prepared for a safer Rivers State where people will no
longer soil their hands to make a difference and every Rivers resident will
be so excited deducing that kidnappers and looter-politicians will not make
our Rivers State to fail.
