By Emeka Aginam, Asst. Online Editor
The Executive Director of  Nigeria Policy Institute, USA,  Jimmy Emmanuel Asiegbu has called on  both state and federal governments to pay priority  attention to the recent  rampant kidnapping and armed robbery incidents in the country, particularly in Southeast part of the country.

Kidnapping and demand for  huge ransom of millions of Naira, he said  has become a lucrative and fast means of becoming millionaire for  jobless and displaced youths, saying that there was  need to checkmate the ugly tread from  spreading  to every part of the country.

According to him, NPI is calling on all the Southeast Governors and the federal government of Nigeria to make it a priority to create employment opportunities for our youths through  facilitation of the building of Job creating ventures and industries that will employ thousands of youths across the States.

The root cause of this high crime wave in Southeast Nigeria, especially in Anambra State, he said is  the long neglect of the unemployed youths and former Massob youths and displaced motor park touts. According to Asiegbu who has been in the forefront for a better Igbo states, the death penalty law and property seizure laws should be openly and publicly carried out on all convicts, adding that a  great rewarding incentive should be in place for those who successfully give information that lead to apprehension of  criminals.

“In fact, Nigeria Policy Institute, USA have been bombarded with complaints from the International Communities and Companies who have business dealings in some states such as Anambra, Enugu, Imo, and Bayelsia. International Humanitarian Organizations and Nigerians groups and Communities have also stated that they will suspend visiting the country as a result of the daily reported menace and incidents of kidnapping and armed robbery targeted at foreigners, their relatives and those Nigerians living abroad especially United States and Canada

“Consequently, we call on each State governor and the Federal government to, in addition to the existing security measures in our State’s and National Constitutions, to consider the following effective Security Proposals that have worked tremendously in curtailing crimes in civilized countries such as U.S.A, Europe and Asian Countries” he said.
While advising the government of the country to engage the youths in software development for challenges ahead  proposed the following as a bail out option:

Each Nigerian State should recruit, train, mobilize and equip uniformed Vigilante groups and empower them to make arrests of the criminals, turn them in to the police, and ensure that the culprits are prosecuted to the extent the Law permits. Each State Governor and House members should appoint a Crime Czar for each local government whose duties will include instituting an effective Security Structure for monitoring of suspected criminals and stopping them before they act. These Crime Chiefs should meet frequently to evaluate successes and failures, share information on ways to improve the safety of the people.

For those states that have Street Lights, Hidden Cameras should be installed at strategic locations. Rich people should install hidden cameras in their houses and their cars. Most of these cameras are solar powered.

All the Nigeria Telecommunication Companies should be mandated to have the “Family Locator” Chips or “Phone number (blocked and unblocked) locator chips” in their system, to enable the tracing of all calls to the victim’s family. Use of marked money in the payment of the ransom demands should always be used.

Outsourcing  or providing highly skilled but cheap Nigeria Labor and Tax incentives to the International Companies manufacturing businesses such as being done by India, Indonesia, China should be seriously embarked on.

While  believing that  provision of uninterrupted energy supply can eradicate majority of these crimes, Asieggu who is very passionate about youth empowerment noted that  some of these proposals will no doubt be capital intensive. “We do believe that security funds should sufficiently address it. Safety is an important constant factor for Socio-Economic growth of any Economy,” he added.