A Security Analyst, Olajide Alabi on Thursday said that the Nigeria Police Force is ill-equipped in the fight against kidnappings which has become a major source of concern to the people and government.
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, Mr Alabi said the fight against kidnapping should “not be the sole responsibility of the Nigerian Police” and advised that the Nigerian Army should be enrolled to fight the crime.
He explained that soldiers are better equipped at fighting such crimes as there is a “counter terrorist unit in the special warfare wing of the army”.
“I think the army can also be co-oped into the security menace of kidnapping,” he said.
Mr Alabi explained the members of the police force are not trained to be “counter-terrorists” and disclosed that only 400 mobile police officers were trained in this regard, three years ago. The training lasted 2 months.
Mr Alabi said that kidnapping is no regular crime but is a ‘terrorist act’ committed by terrorist organisations, which use ransom collected to secure the release of their members who are in police custody.
“Kidnapping is a forceful apprehension of people mostly for ransom”.
He attributed the increase in cases of kidnapping to the level of unemployment in the society.
