By CHIDI ESIKE

Our elders say that when an abnormal or bad thing is allowed to continue for a long time, it starts assuming the semblance of normality. The Nigerian government has allowed insecurity and especially the kidnapping variant of it to continue for rather too long with unbelievable apathy, indocility and outright no-action attitude that it is almost getting akin to giving tacit support to the act of kidnapping. Expectedly, the felons had gotten so emboldened and had kept daring the government and people of Nigeria so much so that one would not be wrong to say that the kidnappers had won the battle; holding the nation and citizens captive. How is it that Nigerians are hungry and traumatised and also cannot move about in their own country for fear of kidnappers and other non-state actors. Show me the example of a conquered people if not this.

To make matters worse, each time a kidnapping occurs, the government and its agencies will look the other way while heavy ransoms are paid to these miscreants and terrorist sponsors by highly impoverished citizens. People have proven that these kidnappings are in the main sponsored by terrorists who now use the money to purchase arms and ammunition yet the government keeps mute and looks on indolently and unconcerned despite the intimidating security architecture at its disposal.

Does it not matter to the government that condoning kidnapping is tantamount to sponsoring terrorism? How can a government say that it is fighting terrorism while seeming to aid the same terrorists by allowing them unmitigated access to free funds in the form of ransom from the citizens to buy arms and ammunition that are, at times, more sophisticated than what the government buys for her own security forces. Will the government in this case still say she is fighting insecurity in all honesty?

Is anyone surprised that kidnapping has become an approved business of sorts? Yes, approved and emboldened by the government’s nonchalant and I don’t care attitude. The most unfortunate thing is that the kid-glove handling of kidnapping in this country had not only emboldened kidnappers but had allowed them to recruit thousands of innocent unemployed youths who if there were consequences for the act would have kept away from the act of kidnapping. This is very unfortunate but the reality of the situation.

The recent kidnapping of 20 medical students travelling in their own country is actually one kidnapping event too many. This government must seize this opportunity to send a clear and serious message to kidnappers and their ilk that enough is enough. To start with and to show his seriousness in his duty as the President of this country and the Commander-in-Chief of the security forces in this country, the president of Nigeria must make a statement that Nigerian lives matter by cutting short his trip to Equatorial Guinea and coming back to Nigeria to take charge of operations to rescue these young Nigerian citizens all alive and make sure kidnapping doesn’t happen again or is reduced to its bearest minimum. All the relevant security agents must be directed, not only to make sure that these students are brought back and reunited with their families alive, but that these kidnappers are caught and punished with their sponsors. Henceforth that should be the treatment for every case of kidnapping. Both the might of the Nigerian state and subtle planning must be used to free these young Nigerians. There is no reason why Nigerian Air Force helicopters should not have been hovering over the kidnap scene area since the occurrence of this incident if only to tell the kidnappers that it is not business as usual.

Nigeria copied democracy from America. There is no reason that they should not copy that the lives of her citizens matter. Not quite very long ago, the American government and a few of its security agents came to Nigeria to rescue a single American citizen that was kidnapped in northern Nigeria. Are we saying that the American president did not know and authorise this operation? Of course he knew and approved it. If the American president and its government could take action to go to a dangerous foreign country like Nigeria to rescue just one American citizen with the enormous resources involved, there is no reason the Nigerian President and government should not deploy her resources to rescue 20 young Nigerian youths. No reason at all. We owe them and posterity this duty of care.

The Nigerian president, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu must emulate this international best practice that shows that citizens’ lives matter. He must come home to Nigeria to direct this operation. He should not tell us that he is in touch with his operatives through the phone. His body language of zero tolerance to kidnapping going forward is very important to everybody – both to the kidnappers to tell them that that the game is up and to the citizens to reassure them that the government is here for them and that their lives matter.

As we keep watch and keep praying for the safe release of these young Nigerians and look forward to their being reunited with their families, it is the fervent hope of Nigerians that the government will seize this opportunity to carry out a determined war that will free this country from the menace of kidnapping. The Nigerian president must step up his act and lead the charge.