6th July 2020
Convener of the New Nigeria Conversation, Princewill Odidi, has weighed in on the spate of kidnapping in Cross River, a sub-national entity in Nigeria's south southern geopolitical zone NEGROIDHAVEN can say.
Odidi who opined that kidnapping is criminal and can destroy public reputation before investors suggested that intelligence and surveillance can curb the social malaise. He observed that mounting of roadblocks has negative implications to commuters.
His words, 'Kidnapping is a very different type of criminal activity. Mounting police checkpoints all over the city will be counterproductive to commuters. Second it is not possible to station police in every bar, joint or every residence to guide people, kidnapping realistically becomes very difficult to stop.
'What government can do is increase intelligence and surveillance in the neighborhoods kidnappers live. Intelligence agencies should infiltrate their covert operators with kidnapping gangs and gradually eliminate the gangs.'
The social entrepreneur further noted that the government should be proactive and addressed this kind of insecurity by nibbing it at the bud considering the economic implications of the malady: 'I read that the kidnapping gangs are non Cross River indigenes and that they come from outside, which makes it more difficult to track down.
'But I will still recommend increased local intelligence. If government can track down those suspected to be behind this gangs, government should go after them even before they strike. Nothing will destroy the states public image like these.
'Increased kidnappings can destroy our tourism industry including carnival and can scare investors. It is very unfortunate', he concluded.
