Summarized Perspectives on Osun, Ekiti and Ondo State Resurgence.
Kidnappers, modus operandi and the way forward.
#Caveat: This is not an all or none law (opinion) on this subject matter.
Disclaimer: This write up are random analysis based on observations, psychology of kidnappers, victims experiences, General profiling and attitudinal diagnosis. It is not targeted at anyone and therefore No liability is inclined from misuse and unlawful broadcast without permission.
Groups recently implicated as kidnappers = Herdsmen
Target Population = Anyone, no age, political or religious barrier.
Primary gain = Obedience to hierarchial and expansionist tendency.
Secondary Gain = Financial, Money and Food.
Area of Action:
1. Highways
2. Interstate roads
3. Trunk B roads
Modes of Operation
1. The Spy/Syndicate System
2. The Collegiate System
3. The Cruder Brute Force System
1. THE SPY SYSTEM
Who are the spies?
a. Law enforcement agents. (The Bad Eggs) inclusive of Vigilantes.
b. Jobless Road Repairers
d. Busy bodies sitting at road junctions.
e. Road Side hawkers
Mechanism of Action.
Unauthorised Peeping inside the car by any of those listed above to achieve any of the following:
1. Identify wealthy individuals
2. Identify the presence of armed guards
3. Rating of vehicles as a measure of wealth
4. Identification and Isolation of all vehicles with govt plate number as a MUST for kidnap, even if with the driver alone.
Means of achieving Actions by Spies:
1. Undue friendliness at contact with the bad eggs among security agents
2. Undue familiarity from road side hawkers and persistent hang around vehicles even when there is no intention from road user to patronised them.
3. Unwarranted/ unsolicited waving @ vehicles by unknown people at road junctions to gauge Drivers mood or see face clearly.
4. Presence and Fiddling with phone by one or all of these spies at contact.
5. Eventual call to Kidnappers in front for actions.
2. THE COLLEGIATE SYSTEM
In this case the kidnappers are of the same tribe working together at very short distance to each other.
Mechanism of Action.
You suddenly see a man in front of you beside the road in an unexplained area, that is: an area leading to nowhere.
When you drive close to him and after sizing up your car from a distance he enters the bush again in your presence.
Please note that when you drive to the point of his disappearance into the bush, you can't see any road leading to the bush.
By then he has called his colleagues who are at a very short distance away to effect the kidnapping.
Please note the moment you see this group of kidnappers in front, you have already walked Into an ambush as some of them are already behind you.
Any reverse or attempt to escape = death.
3. THE CRUDE BRUTE SYSTEM
Latest entrants into the kidnapper's strategy as seen with the Osun Prof of recent and those on Kaduna Abuja road.
a. These types are crude and very brutal.
b. They are great risk takers. They care less about security agencies and their actions comes with multiple casualties.
c. They work alone and kidnap anyone they see No matter how poor.
d. They have no time to access anyone.
e. They also kidnap in large number to increase their chances of great profit while collating ransoms on individual heads.
MECHANISM OF ACTION
They jump at any road of their choice at anytime of the day and start shooting at the incoming traffic, no matter the speed.
They kill as many as those hit by bullets at random and carry away those who survive the wreck that ensued after the sporadic shooting.
Post Kidnapping Behaviours and Occurrences
After kidnapping, the kidnappers make everyone to understand that they are in serious business by doing any or all of the following
1. Incessant Threat languages at gun points
2. Regular unforced slaps and kicks.
3. Removal of Shoes and slippers of victims to make them miserable while walking on sharps, thorns, shrubs etc to create injuries on their feet to ensure early soberness.
4. Walking in circles for hours to disorient the victims in terms of time and place and position.
The victims feel they have walked so far away from the point of kidnap while they are still close to the same point.
They also cannot guess time accurately anymore.
5. Late initiation of negotiation until the victims is thoroughly sober and dying slowly..
6. Release after collection of ransom which are determined by Physique, ID cards, ATM cards, Job papers/signs seen in the car or on the victims e.g. Stethoscope
7. Death.
CAUSES OF DEATH IN KIDNAPPING
This occur rather too often in some cases from;
1. Exhaustion
2. Ongoing medical ailments prior to kidnap with no available medications for days.
3. Snake bites and bites from other poisonous animals in the bush
5. Dehydration and acute renal injury from lack of water and severe anxiety with over perspiration
6. Hemorrhage from Multiple gang rapes
7. Gunshot from the kidnappers due to:
a. Attempt to stop incoming speeding traffic
b. Attempt to escape
c. Too Weak victim who cannot move again.
d. Failed Rescue operations by security agencies
Kidnappers Collecting Ransom after Death
Why do they still collect ransom after death?
1. The kidnappers see each operation as an investment and hence no matter what happens to the victim(s) they still want to maximize the gains of each operation.
Release of Victim Without Collecting Ransom?
Yes very possible. This is common in the spy system. Where the spy called them that they have kidnapped the wrong person or that the person kidnapped will generate too much heat and stress for them from the security agencies and the community.
Best Way to Handle Kidnappers
1. Avoidance
2. Avoidance
3. Avoidance
4. Once kidnapped you lost all control, if you attempt to escape you get killed, if you don't try to escape, you may STILL die.
5. Avoidance at all cost.
WAY FORWARD
1. Youth Employment opportunities
2. National Disorientation and Reorientation on tribalism and expansionist tendencies.
3. Regular and permanent, non stop highway patrols at 10 minutes intervals with security agents in mufti
4. Increase wages and motivational weapons for security agencies
5. High Premium insurance coverage for Security agents
6. Rapid response helicopter with night vision equiprment and thermal detector under foliage.
7. Consider Amnesty for Kidnappers and engagement in vocational trade and Education
8. Stringent punishement for kidnappers and conspirators.
9. Community anti-kidnap civilian security measures.
10. Close audit and CCTV monitoring of law enforcement agents in charge of armoury
11. Massive mop up of illegal guns in the community and Neutralization of all Black markets.
12. Employment of spy agents across and within the communities.
13. Whistle blower compensation for anyone who exposes kidnappers, bandits, dangerous herdsmen and terrorist
Thanks
