Olakunle Olafioye

President of Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON), Dr. Ona Ekhomu, has praised the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, on the successful rescue of the District Head of Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar.

He said that the performance of the police showed that it is capable of providing effective internal security if it is adequately  funded. In a news release issued in Lagos during the week, Ekhomu said: “The dramatic rescue of the Magajin Gari Daura by the IGP’s Intelligence Response Team led by legendary DCP Abba Kyari is worthy of celebration as it reaffirms the belief that the Police can safeguard Nigerians from the scourge of kidnappers.”

He said: “The successful resolution of the kidnap incident using technical intelligence and good old-fashioned detective tradecraft shows that the best days of the NPF are yet to come”.  Ekhomu, who is the first chattered security expert in West Africa, said that the kidnap of the Magajin Gari Daura on May 1st, 2019, was targeted violence aimed at embarrassing the nation.  Said Ekhomu: “The seizure appeared to be politically motivated as it was intended to show that the traditional ruler of the president’s home town could be abducted rather easily. It is a fitting tribute to the police that no ransom was paid to resolve this violent kidnap incident.”

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The expert called on the Federal Government to confer national honors on the team that rescued the monarch. He also called for financial reward for them, adding that “rather than pay ransom to kidnappers, let us reward gallant police officers like Abba Kyari and his team.”

Ekhomu advised the police to up its game in combating the problem of kidnapping which is making Nigeria appear to be a “failed state,” stressing that the frequent incidents of mass kidnap in cities, towns, villages, farms and along highways was unacceptable.  He said the extremely high incidence of kidnap perpetrated by herdsmen militia was a challenge to the performance of the Police agency. He said the Police should consider operational as well as strategic performance in combating kidnapping.

“The police should invent operational, programmatic and administrative means to prevent the foul crime of kidnapping. The Police must emphasize deterrence which satisfies the strategic goal of kidnap prevention. It’s not possible to spend two months investigating every kidnap case like was done in the case of Magajin Gari Daura. However, if the punishment is extremely severe, certain and  with clarity, then the kidnappers will amend their evil ways,” adding that abductions not only threaten cash assets but also threatens lives and limbs.

Said Ekhomu: “Aside from collecting ransom from victims’ families and employers, kidnap is evil personified as it results in the following horrendous events – murder of victims, killing of victims for ritual purposes, mutilation, physical torture, exposure to the elements, poor feeding, beatings, shootings, verbal abuse, death threats, rape, exposure to snake bite, denial of medicines and treatment.”