Nigeria: Defence Headquarters vows to stamp out kidnapping as cases mount

The military in Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment in ending the scourge of kidnapping in the country through inter-agency collaborations. The Defence Headquarters said the armed forces were aware of the rising cases of kidnappings and their effect on the families of those affected…

The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has announced that the military is collaborating with other security agencies and stakeholders in a move to stamp out kidnapping syndicates operating in the capital, Abuja, and other parts of the country.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, pledged the assurance in the weekly report of the operations of the armed forces in Abuja.

He noted that the armed forces were aware of the rising cases of kidnappings and their effect on the families of those affected, while also highlighting the disturbing situations the menace has created.

To tackle the raging cases of abductions and other criminal activities, he said the troops had increased ground and air surveillance over Abuja and other areas.

He added that technology had been used to detect abduction gang hiding places and enclaves and that operations had been stepped up to find, degrade, and purge them.

In the last three years, Nigeria has been facing the scourge of kidnapping, making it unsafe to travel by road or farm in some places.

The attacks have added to the worries of security agencies that have been fighting a 14-year insurgency in the northeast, deadly farmer-herder and sectarian battles in the north-central, and escalating attacks by a separatist group in the southeastern parts of the country.