The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered the immediate rescue of 20 medical students who were abducted in Otukpo, Benue State. The situation has reached a point where Nigerians now resort to crowdfunding to secure the release of kidnapped victims. Ordinary citizens are pooling their hard-earned money to pay ransom while the police are there..
The kidnappers, in a bold display of confidence, allowed the abducted students to tweet from captivity. Let that sink in for a moment. These criminals are so sure of the police’s ineptitude that they had no issues about letting their victims access social media. If that’s not a slap in the face of our law enforcement, I don’t know what is.
What They Are saying
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumiyiwa Adejobi, issued a statement on Saturday, where the IGP expressed his outrage. He described the abduction as “truly appalling, callous, and unacceptable.” But isn’t it just as appalling that our police force is so ineffective that kidnappers feel free to let their captives communicate with the outside world?
Egbetokun claims that the police are fully committed to rescuing the students, stating that additional human and technical resources have been deployed to Benue State. According to him, tactical units from the FID-STS and FID-IRT, along with advanced helicopters, drones, and specialized vehicles, are all part of the rescue mission. How many times have we heard this same tired rhetoric? The Nigerian Police Force is always “committed,” always “deploying resources,” yet the kidnappings continue unabated.
Why It Matters
The abduction occurred as the students were traveling to Enugu for the annual convention of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students. Instead of focusing on their education and future, these young Nigerians are now playthings in a dangerous game, held captive by criminals who seem to operate with impunity.
The IGP’s statement also included an appeal to the public for information that could aid the investigation. Why should ordinary Nigerians do the police’s job for them? The public is already burdened enough, dealing with the constant threat of abduction and the subsequent financial strain of paying ransoms. Now, they’re expected to provide actionable intelligence too?
Egbetokun’s reassurances that the Nigeria Police Force is “determined to sustain the fight against crimes and criminality” ring hollow in the face of this ongoing crisis. How can the public trust a police force that has repeatedly failed to protect them? The kidnapping of these students is just the latest in a long line of failures.
The statement concludes with the usual platitudes about the police’s commitment to protecting lives and maintaining peace. But actions speak louder than words. Until the Nigeria Police Force can demonstrate real effectiveness in combating kidnapping and other crimes, these statements will remain nothing more than empty promises.
Bottom Line
In the meantime, the families of the abducted students can only hope that this latest rescue effort doesn’t end like so many others, with more press releases and no real results. As it stands, the kidnapping epidemic in Nigeria is a glaring indictment of the police’s inability to do their job. And the public is paying the price, literally.
