The
Campaign for Democracy (CD) yesterday alleged that kidnapping has become a big
business in the Southeast, with abductors making an average of N750 million
monthly.
It said abduction had increased in the region
after a lull. The rights group urged governors to intervene.
The CD said the situation had made the
region unsafe for industrialists and businessmen.
Chairman of CD in the Southeast Dede Ujoh
A. Uzoh, in a statement, said:
“It is very depressing that
notwithstanding the huge amount of money the governors of the five Southeast
states collect each month, they as the chief security officers, are unable to
contain the upsurge of kidnapping.
“An average of five persons are kidnapped
per month in each state of the zone and they pay between N30 million and N20
million each.
“This amounts to about N150 million per
month from wealthy individuals in a state, thus, totalling N750 million per
month from the five states.
“There has been this massive exodus of
industrialists, businessmen and women from the zone due to activities of
kidnappers,’’ it said.
The statement added that the recent
escalation of kidnapping is more rampant in major cities of Onitsha, Aba,
Owerri, Awka, Umuahia, Enugu and Abakaliki.
“These are the cities where wealthiest
people and their families live and carry out their businesses.
“This is making business and human
security to collapse and the wealthy not free to move around within the zone
due to fear of being kidnapped,’’ it said.
The statement urged governors to help
stop the present exodus of the wealthy people; which, if not checked within
some months, the economy of the zone would crumble,’’ it said.
The statement also called on mobile phone
service providers to assist the police and other law enforcement agencies to
track kidnappers as they use mobile phones to network their operations.
“Efforts should be made to energise the
Southeast Economic Summit to revive the moribund industries in the zone; taking
a cue from the South-South.
“The revival of industries has become
paramount so that workplaces would be created to contain youths that would
likely join these bad eggs perpetrating these heinous crime,” the CD said.