DLA gives FG 14-day ultimatum to tackle worsening kidnapping crisis

The Democratic Leadership Alliance has issued a 14-day notice to the Federal Government to unveil concrete measures to tackle the worsening wave of kidnappings across the country, warning that Nigerians are increasingly living in fear while criminal gangs continue to operate with alarming impunity. In a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Judith Aguenu, the party expressed deep concern over the growing insecurity in many parts of the country, describing kidnapping as a national crisis that now threatens lives, economic activities and social stability. The DLA said recent efforts by the Federal Government, including the planned recruitment of 1,000 forest guards, have failed to convince Nigerians that authorities fully appreciate the scale of the challenge. “The recent decision of the Federal Government to recruit 1,000 forest guards as part of its response to insecurity has done little to reassure Nigerians that the administration fully understands the magnitude of the kidnapping crisis currently threatening lives, livelihoods, and national stability,” the statement said. The party noted that abductions have become a recurring feature of daily life across the country, with citizens being kidnapped on highways, in their homes, schools, farms, places of worship and communities. “Today, millions of Nigerians live in fear. Hardly a day passes without reports of citizens being abducted from highways, homes, schools, farms, places of worship, and communities. The fear of kidnapping has become a major obstacle to freedom of movement, economic activities, agricultural production, and social development,” it stated. The opposition party said the impact of the crisis is being felt most severely in rural communities where farmers are increasingly abandoning their farmlands over safety concerns, worsening food production challenges and economic hardship. According to the DLA, many of its members across the country have been directly affected by the deteriorating security situation. “Farmers are abandoning their farms, businesses are relocating, families are living under constant fear, and communities are increasingly vulnerable to criminal elements,” the party said. The statement comes against the backdrop of persistent reports of mass abductions and ransom-related crimes in several states, particularly in parts of the North-West, North-Central and some areas of the South. Security experts and civil society groups have repeatedly warned that kidnapping has evolved into a lucrative criminal enterprise driven by weak law enforcement, unemploym