KIDNAP FOR RANSOM: EXPLORING THE CATALYSTS IN KADUNA STATE, NORTH WESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Kidnapping is one of the most dreaded forms of banditry in Nigeria. In Nigeria, kidnapping was seen as a unique strategy adopted by the militants in the Niger Delta to vent their grievances against foreign nationals on the infrastructural decay in the region. However, today kidnapping has become ubiquitous in the country. This is evident in the series of kidnapping incidents that involved both high-net-worth and even the downtrodden personalities across various divides in the country. The magnitude of its occurrence is such that, hardly a day passes without a reported kidnapping incident, yet, the unreported cases are likely higher. More terrifying is the frequency of its occurrence in northern Nigeria-a region that is already suffering from numerous social ills and economic quandary. Even though the motives of kidnappers vary across the globe, extant studies point to reasons ranging from slavery to ritual purposes; sex, trafficking to foreign countries for economic gains, marriage, murder etc. These various motives account for the reason that, there is no mono-causal explanation for the concept of kidnapping as its drivers are determined by the intentions and motives of the perpetrators. Thus, using qualitative techniques of data collection, a sample of 10 victims of kidnapping and 5 security personnel was drawn through a purposive sampling technique, upon which the analysis of the study was based. The Weber's Social Action Theory was adopted to enable cogent sociological analyses of the problem. The findings of the study revealed poverty, widespread unemployment, moral decadence as well as payment of ransom by families of kidnap victims as key catalysts of kidnap for ransom in Kaduna state. Based on these findings, therefore, refusal to pay ransom to kidnappers so as to discourage the act and more realistic empowerment programmes to address the high rate of unemployment and reduce poverty were recommended.

Full text

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KIDNAP FOR RANSOM: EXPLORING THE CATALYSTS IN KADUNA STATE,
NORTH WESTERN NIGERIA
By
Ayuba, Muhammad Ribadu
Department of Sociology,
Faculty of Social Sciences,
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
Email: ribadoayuba@gmail.com
mrayuba@abu.edu.ng
Tel: +2348036557188
Abstract
Kidnapping is one of the most dreaded forms of banditry in Nigeria. In Nigeria,
kidnapping was seen as a unique strategy adopted by the militants in the Niger Delta
to vent their grievances against foreign nationals on the infrastructural decay in the
region. However, today kidnapping has become ubiquitous in the country. This is
evident in the series of kidnapping incidents that involved both high-net-worth and
even the downtrodden personalities across various divides in the country. The
magnitude of its occurrence is such that, hardly a day passes without a reported
kidnapping incident, yet, the unreported cases are likely higher. More terrifying is the
frequency of its occurrence in northern Nigeria – a region that is already suffering
from numerous social ills and economic quandary. Even though the motives of
kidnappers vary across the globe, extant studies point to reasons ranging from slavery
to ritual purposes; sex, trafficking to foreign countries for economic gains, marriage,
murder etc. These various motives account for the reason that, there is no mono-
causal explanation for the concept of kidnapping as its drivers are determined by the
intentions and motives of the perpetrators. Thus, using qualitative techniques of data
collection, a sample of 10 victims of kidnapping and 5 security personnel was drawn
through a purposive sampling technique, upon which the analysis of the study was
based. The Weber’s Social Action Theory was adopted to enable cogent sociological
analyses of the problem. The findings of the study revealed poverty, widespread
unemployment, moral decadence as well as payment of ransom by families of kidnap
victims as key catalysts of kidnap for ransom in Kaduna state. Based on these
findings, therefore, refusal to pay ransom to kidnappers so as to discourage the act and
more realistic empowerment programmes to address the high rate of unemployment
and reduce poverty were recommended.
Keywords: Kidnapping, ransom, catalysts, social action

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1. Introduction
Kidnapping as a form of organized crime is not a novel phenomenon. It is, historically, an old
phenomenon traceable to ancient civilizations as it was alluded to, in the Holy scriptures as
far back as the era of Prophet Joseph (peace be unto him) when he was abducted by his
brethren several centuries ago. However, the term ‘kidnapping’ is relatively new as it is said
to have emerged in the 17th century in the Great Britain where ‘kids’ of the wealthy families
were ‘napped’ (caught in the sleep) for ransom (Tzanelli, 2006). Thus, while the act of
kidnapping is established as an old one, the trends and patterns it takes are what gains
currency and accounts for variations in its forms as well as the multiplicity of its occurrences
across time and space.
The NYA24’s (2018) data on kidnap for ransom revealed that, Asia as a continent has the
highest number of reported kidnapping cases across the world, followed by Africa, Latin
America, Middle East and Europe. While Africa was reported to be the second continent
witnessing the highest rate of kidnap for ransom cases, Nigeria occupies the second position
as the country with the highest number of kidnapping incidents throughout the world
(NYA24, 2018). This projects the country in a bad light to the international communities and
by implications reduces its potentials to attract foreign direct investments (FDI).The global
trends of kidnapping tend to depict its prevalence in countries faced with internal conflicts.
Thus, there is seemingly a correlation between kidnapping and conflict, insurgency or
terrorism (Wittig, 2018). This is evidently clear in countries grappling with humanitarian
crisis, particularly in most developing continents like Africa. For instance, The Global
Slavery Index (2014) reported that, large number of men, women and even children were
kidnapped and held as slaves by ethnic militias in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC). The report further indicated that, in April and May of that year alone, 267 women and
girls were sexually harassed by the armed militias.
In Nigeria, the incidents of kidnapping have become recurrent phenomena making headlines
of the country’s dailies. Although, kidnap for ransom began to be more pronounced in the
country by early 2000s in the oil rich Niger Delta region by different groups fighting for what
they described as marginalisation and environmental injustice inflicted on them as a result of
the oil exploration activities by the multinational corporations in the region. Consequently,
they deployed hostage taking of prominent public officials and expatriates working in the
multinational corporations in the region as a way of drawing the attention of government and

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even international communities to their plights. Thus, a decade ago, one could conveniently
assert that kidnap for ransom was entirely a thing of the Niger Delta. However, the recent
upsurge in kidnappings in northern Nigeria tends to change the narrative as it has taken a
horrendous dimension thus attracting attentions of both local and international communities.
Since 2009 when the activities of Boko Haram began to intensify in the north eastern Nigeria,
unprecedented and hitherto unknown criminal activities in the region such as the kidnappings
and abduction of minors began to rear their ugly heads. Thus, by 2014 large scale
kidnappings ensued, particularly the abduction of secondary school girls in Chibok, Borno
State, Nigeria which attracted global attention. This incident marked the beginning of
notorious kidnappings in northern Nigeria, and since then several other kidnapping cases
such as the abductions of the former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service
and the current District head of Daura, Katsina state, the president’s home town, Alhaji Musa
Uba, and the father of the Nigerian national team’s captain, John Obi Mikel in 2018 to
mention but a few, have been making the headlines. According to a report by the United
Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF, 2018) from 2013 to 2018 more than 1,000
children had been abducted by the armed terrorists in the north east Nigeria including the
widely publicised abductions of 276 Chibok girls and 113 from Dapchi Borno and Yobe
states respectively. Yet, this figure represents only a fraction of the incidents of kidnappings
in the region as many cases go unreported due to the volatility of the crisis in the region and
the poor media coverage.
Today, the north western Nigeria has particularly overtaken other regions of the country in
terms of the scourge of kidnap for ransom. During the quarterly Northern Traditional Rulers’
Council, the Acting Inspector-General of Police disclosed that 79.8% of the national total of
kidnappings was recorded in the three northern geopolitical zones, with the North West being
the hotspot, where 365 people were kidnapped in the first quarter of the year (Toromade,
2019). Just like their counterparts in the Niger Delta who attacked expatriates and locals
working in the multinational corporations in the region, the kidnappers in the north western
Nigeria have made it habitual to abduct not only minors and high-net-worth personalities but
also the poor citizens – an act that has plunged the entire region into a state of fear and
uncertainty for both the rich and poor residents in the region. For a region that is already
regarded as the poorest and most educationally backward in Nigeria, the upsurge of
kidnapping will only worsen the situation and further sink the region into graver insecurity
challenges. The situation is quite grave in Kaduna state considering its geographical location

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and its proximity to the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. The rate at which kidnap for ransom
occurs in the state leaves much to be desired as both local and foreign nationals are affected.
The abduction of two German Archaeologists in 2017; the kidnapping of Nigeria’s ex-
minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Bagudu are just few cases on point. It is quite
difficult to come up with an exhaustive list of the victims of kidnap for ransom in Kaduna
state due to the frequency of its occurrence despite the various security measures being taken
by the federal government. Thus, the main thrust of this study is to explore the catalysts of
kidnapping in Kaduna state Nigeria through the collection and analysis of empirical data.
2.0 Literature Review
2.1 Conceptual Review of Kidnapping
Like many other social science concepts, kidnapping means different things to different
people hence its defiance for a universal definition. It is a concept that bears different
meanings and is understood only from the context in which it is used. Several researchers
have thus attempted to define it from different perspectives depending on their conception of
the term. Inyang and Ubong (2013) define it as the use of force to capture, take away and
detain a person unlawfully against his/her will. This definition is in tandem with the
conception of kidnapping in the criminal law where it is seen as the unlawful taking away or
transportation of a person so as to confine him/her against his/her will. It is usually done with
multiple, yet, varying reasons such as extraction of ransom from the victims or his/her
relatives or employer, abduction of a child to have a bargaining power especially in marital
dispute. Sometimes, kidnapping is perpetrated in order to advance a course of another crime
such as human trafficking and/or slavery. Similarly, Fage and Alabi (2017) see kidnapping as
a product of some variables ranging from economic, political, religious and self-
determination through coercive or fraudulent abduction of a person or group of persons.
Turner’s (1998) description of kidnapping lends support to the above conceptions where he
describes it as seizing and transporting persons to a destination of unlawful imprisonment
against their consent through force or enticement. This implies that apart from forcible
capture of persons, kidnapping also occurs by luring away the victims and eventually
forcefully confining them into false imprisonment. The conceptions of kidnapping by the
above researchers agrees with the English common law website which defines kidnapping as
an offence which connotes a forceful or fraudulent taking away of a person by another person
without his/her consent or lawful excuse.

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In similar vein, Uzorma and Nwanegbo-Ben (2014) asserted that, kidnapping refers to a
situation whereby a person or group of persons are forcibly or fraudulently taken away or
snatched and detained against their will with the motive of extorting ransom from them.
Ngwama (2014) sees kidnapping as trampling of the fundamental human rights of a person
by another person or persons through the use of force to subject the victim (the kidnapee) to
false imprisonment and extortion of ransom.
From the definitions above, it can be inferred that, kidnapping is the unlawful use of force
against another person or persons with the intention of using such persons as means of
achieving some social, economic or political goals. This is exemplified by various incidents
of kidnappings being witnessed in the Niger Delta and recently northern regions of Nigeria
for the purpose of social, economic gains and/or political freedom. It is pertinent at this
juncture to clarify the ambiguities that often trail the use of the concept of kidnapping.
Certain concepts are used alternatively to refer to acts of kidnapping but each connotes a
specific type of the act. Thus, concepts such as abduction, ransom, hostage taking and
captivity all refer to kidnapping but have differences in meaning (Okoli and Agada, 2014).
While abduction refers to kidnapping where the victim involved is a minor, hostage taking
denotes keeping a victim (kidnapee) in an illegal confinement with a view to gain advantage
over adversaries. Similarly, captivity means holding a victim usually during war or conflict
so as to have combatant advantage in terms of tradeoffs. Ransom on the other hand is false
confinement of a kidnapee to demand a payment in cash (bit coins, money, valuables etc.) or
in kind by placing certain demands such as the swop over of captives (Okoli and Agada,
2014).
2.2 The Catalysts of Kidnapping
The literature is replete with so many explanations about the motivating factors for
kidnapping. Several researches have been carried out on the factors motivating kidnapping as
a violent crime in Nigeria. However, the complexity of the phenomenon and the new
dimensions it takes makes its motivating factors somewhat unending. Generally, researchers
are quick to point at socioeconomic, political and religious factors as drivers of kidnapping in
Nigeria (Zannoni, 2003; Ottuh and Aitufe, 2014; Ibrahim and Mukhtar, 2017, Ogbuehi,
2018). One striking similarity in all the studies on the drivers of kidnapping is the consensus
that the phenomenon defies mono-causal explanations as it is driven by so many forces. For
instance, Hazen and Horner (2007) identified two broad perspectives on kidnapping: political
bargaining and economic gains. These underscore the fact that kidnapping could be used as a

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tool to score some political goals through hostage taking and demanding for ransom which
could be in form of exchange or trade-offs. A case in point is that of the former governor of
the Central Bank of Nigeria Charles Soludo when he ran for the governorship position under
the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra state. His biological father
was kidnapped allegedly by his political opponents who demanded ransom in exchange for
his freedom. In this sense, according to Ngwama (2014), kidnapping becomes a means of
political vengeance and a strategy of achieving some political goals. On the second
perspective, economic gains, most kidnap for ransom cases in Nigeria exemplify this type of
kidnapping. For instance, even though the Niger Delta militants at initial stage of their
militancy began as groups agitating for the improved well being of the region, but over time,
they drifted to kidnapping for economic gains. Hence, the militants would kidnap expatriates
and other locals working in the multinational oil companies and demand huge ransoms which
they would share among themselves as proceeds. However, kidnap for ransom today has
become a norm among the criminals irrespective of their ethnic inclination, religious leaning,
political affiliations or geographical distribution. Thus, the kidnap prevalence in the country
cuts across all divides, hence the perpetrators emerge in different forms as bandits, militants,
terrorists and Fulani herdsmen among other criminal nomenclatures depending on where,
when, how and who are involved in the kidnapping incidents.
Another explanation of factors motivating kidnapping was provided by Zannoni (2003). He
categorised kidnapping into two: criminal kidnapping and political kidnapping. The criminal
kidnapping, according to him, is influenced by the desire to extort ransom from the victim’s
family or business associates. It also includes using the kidnapee by the kidnappers as a
protective shield to move from the crime scene unharmed by the security operatives, or use
them to get information about certain valuables or gain access to some places with secret
codes. Political kidnapping is the second category identified by Zannoni (2003). It is a type of
kidnapping where the main goal is to confine the victim and make certain demands that will
advance the course of the political group. A case in point here is the kidnapping of nine
expatriates by the Niger Delta militants to demand the release of one of their arrow-heads,
Asari Dokubo, by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Thus, political kidnapping is basically
motivated by the desire to trade-off or negotiate exchanges between the kidnappers and the
victims or their relatives. Sometimes, the ransom in form of money is also demanded here in
order to fund the activities of the group. Thus, studies such as Catlin Group (2012)
maintained that kidnapping is but a political weapon used by politicians and religious

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extremists to advance their political or religious course respectively. Nevertheless, citing
NCRB (2014), Ibrahim and Mukhtar (2017) argued that the motivating factors for kidnapping
in Nigeria go beyond mere categorising them into these two broad categories. They hinged
their argument on the fact that, the motives and intentions of the criminals with regard to
kidnapping acts vary. While some of the criminals kidnap for reasons ranging from slavery,
ritual, sex, trafficking to foreign countries for prostitution, and other illegal activities, others
engage into kidnapping for the purposes of adoption, marriage, begging, camel racing,
vengeance, murder and ransom. These various motives account for the reason that, there is no
mono-causal explanation for the concept of kidnapping as its drivers are determined by the
intentions and motives of the perpetrators.
Furthermore, researchers attribute the upsurge of kidnappings in Nigeria to endemic poverty
in the country (Thom-Otuya, 2010; Inyang (2009), Ogbuehi, 2018). With a maximum crude
oil production capacity of 2.5 million barrels per day, Nigeria ranks as the largest oil
producing country in Africa and the sixth largest oil producer in the world (Gwaambuka,
2018). Also, the country is the wealthiest in Africa in terms of Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) estimated at 397.30 billion US dollars in 2018, and a Foreign Exchange Reserves of
41.9 billion US dollars in September 2019 (Census and Economic Information Centre, CEIC,
2019). Yet, the World Poverty Clock as at June 2018 revealed Nigeria as the headquarters of
poverty with half of its population, around 87 million people, living in extreme poverty on
less than 1.90 US dollar a day; and that in every sixty seconds six Nigerians slither into
poverty (Onu, Bax, Adamu and Ibukun, 2019). Considering the above grim picture about the
social and economic reality of the country, it is no wonder that several researchers found
positive correlation between poverty and kidnapping in Nigeria. Thus, the ever-widening gap
between the rich and the poor coupled with poor governance characterised by corrupt
practices tend to breed strain and desperate tendencies in the youths due to their real or
perceived sense of economic deprivation (Catlin Group, 2012). Consequently, they resort to
kidnapping as a ‘lucrative business venture’ which yields quickest wealth and subsequent
fame. The seeming nature of the kidnap for ransom venture as a money spinning industry has
a potential of luring teeming hungry youths who desire to ‘live like the rich’ whose lifestyles
they aspire to emulate, hence the growing desperation and desire for quick money particularly
among the young Nigerian population. In line with these arguments, Thom-Otuya (2010)
claimed that majority of Nigerians suffer from lack of basic amenities necessary for social
development, high unemployment rate, communal violence and abject poverty manifested in

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the growing slums in almost all the cities. Thus, according to him, poverty is a factor
motivating criminality not only in Nigeria but across the world. Arewa (2013) confirms the
correlation between poverty and criminality arguing that, Nigerians are suffering from
economic deprivation and its resultant criminality because the country as a whole is
characterised by pervasive poverty and social injustice.
Lack of employment opportunities have also been identified as drivers of kidnap for ransom
incidents in Nigeria (Ohakhire, 2010; Ogbuehi, 2018; Ibrahim and Mukhtar, 2017). A study
conducted by Adegoke (2015) found unemployment by a margin of 88 % as the main driver
of kidnap for ransom which is mostly perpetrated by the youths. The argument here is that
year-in, year-out able-bodied graduates are being produced in large number without
corresponding job opportunities to absorb them. Thus, the unscrupulous and frustrated jobless
youths often resort to criminal activities as a means of survival (Inyang, 2009). In similar
vein, Ejimabo (2013) described the phenomenon of pervasive unemployment among the
youths as an impediment to the control and prevention of crimes and delinquencies in the
country. Another study by Inyang and Ubong (2013) also attributed the rise in kidnap for
ransom incidents to the frustration occasioned by the joblessness of the youths whose
personal responsibilities grow without any financial means to offset them. Supporting this
view, Thom-Otuya (2010) argued that the rate of unemployment in Nigeria is responsible for
the widespread kidnapping incidents across the country. It is too high that it poses serious
implications for national development. Looking at the effects of unemployment on crime
causation from psychological viewpoint, Inyang (2009) stressed that graduates who could not
secure jobs after graduation develop negative attitudes towards the society and the system
and attribute their failure to secure the job to the society. Consequently, they develop the
tendency of indulging in acts that negate the overall well being of the society of which they
are part; and at best they never provide any useful support needed to secure the society.
Greed, moral decadence and the quest to get rich quick syndrome have been identified as
factors motivating kidnapping (Ogbuehi, 2018; Inyang and Ubong, 2013; Inyang, 2009;
Nnamani, 2015). Describing the youth quest to get rich syndrome, Nnamani (2015) asserted
that the display of affluence by the wealthy individuals coupled with the societal emphasis on
material wealth, and the roles played by particularly the traditional rulers in conferring
traditional titles to any rich individual without questioning the source of their wealth makes
some youths venture into criminality so as to make wealth overnight. This is more worrisome
considering the fact that the society seems to be quite when an individual that is known to be

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poor today, according to Inyang (2009), suddenly shows up with material wealth yet nobody
dare question the source of their sudden wealth. This encourages moral decadence as so many
desperate youth wanting to be like them would not hesitate to mortgage their integrity to
acquire wealth regardless of the means. In line with this, Inyang and Ubong (2013) submit
that greed is a major factor predisposing kidnappers to brutalizing and dehumanising their
fellow humans in the quest for quick riches.
Other factors identified as driving kidnapping include easy access to hard drugs and
proliferation of arms and military gadgets (Nnamani, 2015; Chidi, Rose and Uche, 2015). In
his study, Nnamani asserted that there is strong connection between easy access to hard drugs
and prevalence of kidnap for ransom. This argument is hinged on the fact that the modus
operandi of the kidnappers is so brutal that it can only be committed by those under the
influence of hard drugs. Inyang (2009) on his part attributes the prevalence of kidnapping to
the proliferation of arms in the country. Nigeria is said to account for about 70% of illegal
small arms in West Africa (Eribake, 2016), most of which come into the country through its
porous borders. Nevertheless, Inyang (2009) linked the upsurge of kidnapping to the nature
of politics played in the country where able bodied youths are usually recruited and equipped
with weapons during election campaigns to serve as guards and political thugs of their pay
masters. As soon as the elections are over, these youths (thugs) are rendered useless as they
usually do not have any employable qualifications or skills, even where they do; they are
seldom rewarded with appointments or any gainful employment. Consequently, in order to
survive, they use the arms provided to them by their political masters in unlawful ways to
make a living. However, other researchers are of the view that the fall of the former Libyan
leader, Muammar Gaddafi contributed to the illicit movement of arms from that country to
Nigeria which are in turn used by unscrupulous youth to extort ransom from the well placed
individuals and their relative in the country.
Meanwhile, scholars such as Ogabido (2009), Nworah (2009), Arewa (2013), Thom-Otuya
(2010), Nnamani (2015) shared the view that, poor and corrupt governance are the factors
responsible for the rise in kidnapping incidents in Nigeria. However, Ogbuehi (2018) argues
that some people use kidnapping as a means of taking revenge or political vendetta. This
occurs in some instances among the politicians and sometimes among the ordinary citizens,
particularly among the Fulani herdsmen in some northern states in Nigeria.

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3. Theoretical Framework
A theory is a compass that gives guide and provides adequate understanding and explanation
of social phenomena. For this paper, the Weber’s Social Action Theory (SAT) is adopted to
explain the phenomenon of kidnap for ransom in Nigeria. Weber distinguished himself from
his predecessors through his analytical focus on individual human actors as against
conceiving Sociology in socio-cultural terms (Priya, n.d). In other words, Weber’s conception
of Sociology was on the subjective meanings that actors attach to their actions in their mutual
orientations within specific social contexts. Thus, SAT essentially provides deep
understanding and explanations of kidnapping as a social problem in Nigeria. To grasp the
full essence of the SAT, the basic assumptions underlying the theory will be examined in the
following section:
a. Social action may be influenced by the past, present or future actions. This supposes
that kidnapping is influenced by actions of the past, present or future. Here, the past
actions refer to the various corrupt practices occasioned by poor governance in the
country. The present refers to the current spate of kidnappings, while the future refers
to the intention or plans of individuals, government or other bodies to curb the
menace of kidnapping.
b. Social action presupposes the existence of other individual and some actions by him.
Thus, social action is possible only if there is another individual whose action or
behaviour is influencing another to act or behave in a specific manner. This implies
that the act of kidnapping is encouraged or promoted by the actions of the kidnappers
and the reactions of the family of the victims through negotiations and payments of
ransom.
c. Social action should have another subjective meaning to another particular social
action. Thus, the kidnap incident is a social action in as much as it is intended by the
kidnapper to attract the reactions of the victims. In other words, the act of the
abduction and the demand for ransom by the kidnappers are oriented towards
stimulating the reactions of the families of the kidnapped victims in terms of payment
of ransom.
Thus, the Weber’s SAT has four stages. These are:
Traditional stage: This has to do with customs, traditions and their usages. It is guided
by customary habits of thoughts. The regularity and patterns of kidnappings over the

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years in particularly the Niger-Delta, South-South region of Nigeria have proved
kidnapping an effective means of making quick money hence it has become habitual
way of thinking among the criminals to engage in kidnap for ransom venture as a
shortcut to (illegitimate) wealth creation.
Emotional/Affective stage: This stage has to do with emotional reactions to the
actions of the kidnappers. Here, the expression of love, pity or sympathy towards the
kidnap for ransom victims by their families and general public in response to the
actions or behaviours of the kidnappers typifies this stage.
Valuation stage: This involves the cherished values of the actors in question. The
cherished values for the kidnappers are their desires for quick money and fame. These
are what they consider important thus they influence their actions towards others in
the society.
Rationally purposeful stage: This is also known as means-ends rationality. It is
determined by expectations as to the behaviours of objects in the environment and of
other human beings. These expectations are used as means for the attainment of the
actor’s own rationally pursued goals. Thus, the kidnappers engage in the criminal act
based on their calculations of the expected benefits which is the ransom money being
extracted from the kidnapped victims.
The SAT is essentially used in this paper to probe in-depth understanding of the kidnappers’
behaviour, the reasons behind their behaviour, and how such actions influence the reactions
or responses of the families of the victims. The strength of the SAT lies in the fact that Action
becomes social when the actor attaches subjective meaning to his/her action by taking into
account the behaviour of others to whom his/her action is oriented (Ritzer and Stepnisky,
2014). Thus, applying this to the phenomenon of kidnapping suggests that, the act of
kidnapping is a deliberate one and is carried out by the kidnappers with the sole aim of
conditioning the behaviour or manipulating the reactions of the family of the victims in the
form of payment of ransom. Therefore, kidnapping persists as a result of the reactions and
behaviours of the kidnapped victims.
4. Methodology
Both primary and secondary sources of data were used in this study. The primary data were
elicited through ten (10) In-depth interviews (IDI) and five (5) Key Informant Interviews
(KII). The interviewees and the informants were purposively drawn from Kaduna metropolis

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in Kaduna state, North West Nigeria. The purposive choice of Kaduna was informed by the
prevalence of kidnapping incidents in the state and the fact that the state is one of the three
(Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara) identified kidnapping hotspots in Nigeria. Also, Kaduna state
is regarded as the hub of political activities and the former headquarters of northern Nigeria.
A purposive sampling technique was used to select the informants. The choice of this
technique was based on the fact that the victims of kidnap for ransom could easily be
identified and also in depth insights would be gotten from them due to their personal
experiences of the phenomenon. Thus, while the IDIs were conducted with the victims of
kidnapping in the state, the KII data were generated from security personnel who were
directly involved in combating the scourge of kidnapping in the state. However, due to the
nature of the problem under study, only few victims were willing to grant interview on their
ordeals due to their traumatic conditions and other security concerns, hence, the fewness of
the sample size of the study. Moreover, in study of this nature smaller but focused samples
rather than large samples are often most appropriate (Cassel and Symon, 1994; Denzin and
Lincon, 2005; Patton, 1990).
Furthermore, the unstructured interview guide and the key informant guide were the
instruments used in generating the data. Thus, the questions on the IDI and the KII guides
were designed in such a way that the data collected were not only rich but also valid to the
phenomenon under study. All the selected participants are male. The absence of the female in
the sample was largely based on the difficulty to have access to them due to the cultural and
religious barriers guiding the patterns of interaction in the study area. With regard to the
analysis techniques, ethnographic summaries and content analysis were used to analyse the
data collected. Furthermore, in an effort to achieve high degree of success in the course of
this study, the basic ethical principles were strictly adhered to. These principles include but
not limited to the principles of informed consent, non-malfeasance, beneficence, respect for
persons, justice and cultural sensitivity.
5. Findings
The study specifically focused on the victims of kidnap for ransom who were residents of
Kaduna State and the security personnel operating along Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road and
Kaduna-Abuja Expressway, Nigeria. With regard to the profile of the key informants, 3 were
male military personnel and 2 were male police officers attached to the Kaduna-Abuja
Expressway and Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road respectively. For the victims, all the selected

13
interviewees were adult males; four (4) of whom were between the ages 25 and35 years, three
(3) were between 35 and 45 years while three (3) were aged above 45 years. The implication
of this is that, the menace of kidnapping affects both youth and the elderly. However, the
people who are in their active years tend to be more affected. This can be explained from the
point of view that, people who engage in active economic activities through movement from
one location to another are often found within the age bracket 25 to 45 years. Concerning the
educational profile of the victims, 4 had university education, while the remaining 6 had only
senior secondary school certificate as their highest qualification. This implies that majority of
the victims of kidnapping in the North West Nigeria were not having higher educational
qualifications. With regard to the occupation of the interviewees, 5 victims were
businessmen, 2 farmers and 3 civil servants. This implies that all categories of people are
vulnerable to kidnapping in the State. On the victims’ marital status, all the respondents were
married.
On the prevalence of kidnapping, the interviewees have all affirmed that the phenomenon of
kidnapping was so prevalent in Nigeria. An interviewee had this to say:
... The phenomenon of kidnapping has become rampant. What we used to hear
about in foreign countries and later in the Niger Delta has now come to stay
with us here in Kaduna because it occurs every day
(Male/IDI/31/Businessman/Kaduna/December, 2019).
This goes to show the prevalence and pervasiveness of kidnapping in the society.
Corroborating this view, a KII informant opined that:
Kidnapping as a social problem is widespread and so prevalent due to the
frequency of its occurrence in the society particularly in this state [Kaduna].
As we speak today, kidnapping is the main security challenge confronting the
North; it is a public knowledge but the security men are confronting it head on
and we are recording successes (Male/KII/42/Police
Officer/Kaduna/December, 2019).
However, in an in-depth interview with a farmer on this topic he tend to agree with the view
of the police officer that kidnapping was the main security challenge bedevilling Nigeria but
sharply disagree with the view that successes are being recorded in the fight against the
scourge of kidnapping in north west Nigeria. Another interviewee lends his support to this
view that:
...kidnapping is so widespread but it is far from the truth to claim that
successes are being recorded because kidnapping incidents in Kaduna have
become routine occurrences (Male/IDI/56/farmer/Kaduna/December, 2019).

14
It is instructive to point out from these arguments and counter arguments that despite the
disagreement in the views of the respondents regarding the successes claimed by the security
officials, they all agree with the fact that the phenomenon of kidnapping is pervasive in North
West Nigeria.
On the factors responsible for kidnapping in north western Nigeria, different views have been
expressed by the interviewees each pointing at some particular social or economic issues as
the catalysts of kidnap for ransom in the region. Poverty dominates the discourse as the main
driver of kidnap for ransom incidents and this was made possible due to the chronic
unemployment rate in the north western Nigeria. The manifestation of poverty in the region
takes different dimensions ranging from street begging, child labour, out of school children,
Almajiri phenomenon among others all of which have been established in the literature to be
high in the region. For instance, an interviewee in one of the sessions stated thus:
...irrespective of its forms, kidnapping is a product of economic challenges
facing the entire northern region. The poverty rate is very high, majority of our
youths are jobless; our graduates unemployed; and the worst part of it all now
is that our farmers can no longer go to the farms for fear of being kidnapped.
So, the main cause of kidnapping as far as this society is concerned is poverty,
which was brought about by widespread unemployment and the government
insensitivity to the plights of the people (Male/IDI/46/civil
servant/Kaduna/December, 2019).
The finding above does not only reveal poverty and unemployment as issues driving the
kidnap for ransom scourge in the north western Nigeria but also points to the fact that food
insecurity is beckoning on the region as the farmers do no longer feel safe to go to the farm
due to the fear of the monstrous kidnappers.
Another respondent stressed the fact that, kidnapping incidents became so pervasive in the
North West Nigeria due to abuse of the youths by politicians during elections periods. His
assertions read as follows:
To me, the main reason for growing incidents of kidnappings in the North can
be traced to the recruitment of thugs by politicians during elections and
dumping them immediately the elections are over. So, it is always very easy
for these kinds of youths to engage in criminal activities since they already
have been equipped by their masters with many dangerous weapons
(Male/IDI/29/businessman/Kaduna/December, 2019).

15
However, while the views of most of the people interviewed tend to relate the upsurge of
kidnap for ransom phenomenon to economic gains associated with the crime, an interviewee
had a different stand as he argued that:
The main reason why kidnapping persists in this country is nothing but the
fact that whenever the kidnappers abduct a person and demand a ransom from
the families of the victims, the ransoms are paid. If the society can endure and
resist the payment of ransom to the kidnappers, I assure you in no time the
scourge of kidnapping will stop. This is because the ransom payment is the
greatest motivating factor for the continuation of the kidnapping. To the
criminals, kidnapping is just a money spinning industry; they make huge sums
of money from it. So, the only way to curb it is to stop paying ransom money
to the kidnappers (Male/IDI/60/civil servant/Kaduna/December, 2019).
This view is closely related to that of a security personnel working in the Kaduna-Abuja axis
who argued that:
The incidents of kidnappings in Nigeria are made worst by the people
themselves through the unnecessary payments of ransom. It is quite
disheartening and painful to have a loved one trapped in the hands of the
criminals; however, it is more painful when people keep paying the ransom.
This is because the more ransom is paid, the more impetus for the criminals. In
fact, most cases of the kidnap for ransom are not reported by the public to the
security or police because people believe in the threats often issued by the
kidnappers of killing their beloved ones once they involve the police or
military in the issue (Male/KII/43/military personnel/Kaduna/December,
2019).
In a related view, a businessman narrated the ordeal of his friend who lost his father to the
kidnappers in Kaduna metropolis after payment of ransom. He stated that:
My friend’s father, who was just a commercial bus driver, was abducted by
the kidnappers who demanded a ransom of five million naira. To raise the
money, the children sold the father’s commercial bus and his plot of land but
were only unable to fully raise the demanded amount. The kidnappers asked
the family to sell the father’s house in order to meet the ransom demanded or
else they would lose their father. Out of fear to lose their father, the children
sold his house and paid the money to the kidnappers but could only discover
the corpse of their father at the end. So, you see, paying the ransom is not
always the solution because even if it is paid in many cases the victims are not
released (Male/IDI/34/businessman/Kaduna/December, 2019).
On the other hand, some participants decried the moral decadence and the quest for wealth
accumulation regardless of the legitimacy of the means as factors predisposing the youths to
kidnapping in the country. A civil Servant interviewed stated thus:
Kidnap for ransom as a criminal activity can only be committed by those
people who lack home training and are bereft of religious values. It is

16
unfortunate that our people engage in doing... I do not completely agree that it
is poverty or unemployment that is propelling the youths in particular to
engage in it. What I personally see as factors causing kidnap for ransom is the
failure of parents in various families to properly socialize their children into
the moral values of the society. Parents nowadays do not want anything that
would harm their children and behaviour of the children can only be moulded
at tender age, once they grow they cannot be bent. In the previous generation
of our parents, you dare not do anything as a child without the knowledge and
consent of your parents. And anyone could discipline everyone’s child without
any hitches, which is why there was absolute order and peaceful coexistence
among people in the society. But today, the reverse is the case, and hence the
various forms of social vices that are bedevilling the society
(Male/IDI/44/Civil Servant/Kaduna/December, 2019).
In a related response, other participants relate the upsurge of kidnapping in north western
Nigeria to the infiltration of weapons in the region through its porous borders, while some
blame the accessibility to hard drugs as one of the catalysts of kidnapping in the region. An
excerpt of these views is presented thus:
Kidnap for ransom or any other violent criminal activity can only persist when
there is constant supply of weapons and ammunitions used in committing the
crimes. The kidnappers we are talking about are humans like us but just that
they have weapons with them which we, the victims, do not have. So, it is the
availability of the weapons that makes it easy for them to abduct and hold
persons as hostages, and these weapons are brought into the country every
minute through our land borders. So, if all our land borders are properly
manned and secured, the problem of kidnap for ransom will seize to be
because we do not manufacture these weapons here in the country. Most of
these weapons are smuggled into the country through other allowable items
until the closure of the borders (Male/IDI/55/businessman/Kaduna/December,
2019).
Similarly, an informant attributed the scourge of kidnapping to the proliferation and abuse of
drugs in the society, arguing that even the kidnappers engage only in kidnapping when they
are not in the right frame of their minds. His comments read thus:
Drug abuse is the major factor responsible for all criminal activities including
kidnapping. This is because criminality is a gradual process. It is a process that
is learned over time. Most of the criminals you see take hard drugs particularly
the kidnappers because I can tell you for free that no kidnap for ransom
incident is executed successfully without an insider. So, when the victim is in
the custody of the kidnappers he gets to see his abductors, hear their voices
and in most cases the victim gets killed when the abductors realised that he has
identified one of them. Now, the execution can only be carried out by the
abductors when they are on hard drugs so as to ensure their anonymity
(Male/KII/55/police officer/Kaduna/December, 2019).

17
On the other hand, an interviewee put the blame on the poor quality of governance in the
country. Pervasive corruption, in the country is seen to have affected the quality of
governance and the provision of social amenities. Lack of basic necessities such as security
of lives and properties, good roads, quality healthcare facilities, quality education, pipe borne
water, electricity etc. all of which are just basic rights of every citizen, have contributed to the
growing dissatisfaction and disenchantment of majority of the people. The feeble ones in the
population who have lost hope in anything positive coming out from the country resort to
criminal and often violent means of meeting their needs. In this regard, a participant had this
to say:
If there is anything that this country lacks seriously, it is good leadership.
Since independence, we have rarely had leaders who have the interest of the
masses at heart. And this is responsible for the rising incidents of various
forms of social vices such as kidnapping, terrorism, ritualism among others.
All the basic things needed to survive in life and very inadequate in Nigeria. Is
it the electricity? Is it pipe borne water? Is it tarred roads? You dare not talk
about the deteriorating educational system because their children never pass
through it. Do not talk about healthcare delivery because even the President
himself cannot patronise his Aso Villa clinic! So, what are we talking about?
Why won’t kidnapping persist in the country when the entire wealth of the
nation is being siphoned by few corrupt individuals? Why won’t there be
kidnap for ransom when the welfare of the poor is never a priority to the
government? So, do not blame anybody for the scourge of kidnapping in the
country but blame the government which does not see the security of lives and
property as the essence of governance. So, kidnap for ransom, I am afraid, will
continue to rear its ugly head until and unless there is change in leadership
style in the country (Male/IDI/34/businessman/Kaduna/December, 2019).
The views presented above, point to several factors responsible for kidnap for ransom in
Nigeria. However, economic and social reasons tend to form the pattern of the responses as
the causal factors of kidnapping in Nigeria.
6. Discussion of Findings
The kidnap for ransom phenomenon was found to be one of the most prevalent and pervasive
crimes in north western Nigeria. This view of the participants confirms the assertion of the
Nigerian Acting Inspector General of Police who disclosed that 79.8% of the national total of
kidnappings was recorded in the three northern geopolitical zones, with northwest being the
hotspot where 365 people were kidnapped in the first quarter of 2019.
With regard to the factors motivating kidnapping in the region, the study reveals that all the
participants identified poverty as the major catalyst of kidnap for ransom in Nigeria. This is

18
not strange to anyone that knows the socioeconomic situation in Nigeria where six Nigerians
fall into extreme poverty in every minute (Onu, et al, 2019). This finding further corroborate
that of Thom-otuya (2010) who argued that the abject poverty in which most Nigerians are
wallowing is responsible for widespread kidnapping in the country. As the popular saying
goes that a hungry man is an angry man, majority of the people in the country seem to be
angry with the government for failing to lift them out of poverty despite the abundant human
and natural resources at its disposal. The evidence of poverty in the north western region of
Nigeria is quite obvious in terms of number of adult beggars, high number of out of school
children, street hawkers, bench warmers under various shades among others.
Closely related to the factor of poverty is the chronic unemployment in the region. The
mainstay of the north western region’s economy even before Nigeria’s independence has
been the agriculture. However, over the years it has been abandoned by most of the people
particularly the youth due to their desire for white and blue collar jobs coupled with the
neglect of the sector by policy makers in terms of provision of agricultural facilities and other
incentives capable of boosting and making the venture quite lucrative. These factors have
made farming a last option for particularly the youths in the region; in fact, most of the
youths would rather embark on commercial motorcycling than engage in farming. It is this
pool of the unemployed youths that are equipped with weapons and used by politicians to
harass and intimidate their political opponents during campaign periods, and as soon as the
elections are over, they are abandon them. Thus, the study reveals that most of these youths
end up indulging in kidnapping activities considering it as the quickest means of making
money. This confirms earlier studies by Ohakhire (2010); Ogbuehi (2018); Ibrahim and
Mukhtar (2017) that lack of employment for the youth is one of the drivers of kidnap for
ransom in Nigeria. The study found that unemployment in north western Nigeria to be
pervasive particularly among the teeming youths of the region and which leads to various
criminal activities such as kidnapping. This further corroborates the earlier findings made by
Inyang and Ubong (2013) that the phenomenon of kidnap for ransom grows due to lack of
employment opportunities for the youths which frustrates them and eventually leads to them
to committing various forms of crimes including kidnapping. It is pertinent to observe here
that kidnapping as a criminal activity has become more appealing to the youths due to its
lucrative nature where an individual could become a multi-millionaire over night. Therefore,
the unemployed youths engage in kidnapping simply as an economic activity. Similarly, an

19
empirical study conducted by Adegoke (2015) found unemployment by a margin of 88% as
the main driver of kidnap for ransom and was mostly committed by the youths.
The study also found the role played by politicians in recruiting thugs who intimidate, harass
and in some extreme cases kill or maim their political opponents during elections, as one of
the drivers of kidnap for ransom in the north western Nigeria. This has always been the case
with some unscrupulous politicians who equip thugs, made up of young energetic, jobless
youths, with weapons and hard drugs to ensure that they emerge winners by all means. This
view corresponds with earlier findings made by Iyang (2009) that kidnapping in Nigeria is a
consequence of proliferation of arms among able bodied youths who were used by crooked
politicians to secure electoral victory. These youths, who often than not end up being dumped
by their political masters after the elections season, are left with no option than to engage in
criminal activities such as the kidnapping because they are mostly healthy and agile jobless
youths, and were already equipped with weapons. Thus, the weapons become their means of
getting money from the members of the public including the politicians.
Furthermore, the study found the payment of ransom to the kidnappers to be one of the major
catalysts of kidnapping in north western Nigeria. This view of the majority of the participants
was informed by the fact that kidnapping is being viewed as a lucrative business venture.
Thus, the more money exchange hands between the kidnappers and the relatives of the
victims, the more the incidents of kidnapping. Similarly, the fact that money exchanges hands
is not a guarantee for the release of the victim, hence most of the interviewees who
incidentally were victims of the kidnap for ransom, canvass for the stoppage of ransom
payment by the family of the victim. . According to the victims, this is the only way to
discourage the kidnapping even though it is going to be quite costly but it seems to be the
only antidote to the scourge of kidnapping in Nigeria.
Other findings made by the study include dissipation of the core traditional northern moral
values which are entrenched in the religious belief of the majority of its people. The
participants held the view that, the rise in kidnap for ransom incidents is quite attributable to
the non adherence to the core values of the region which include respect for elders, caring for
one another and communal sense of belonging where members of the society fell and relate
among themselves as one indivisible entity. The erosion of these values, according to the
study, is responsible for the scourge of various criminal activities including kidnapping in the
region. Thus, the hitherto authoritatively respectable traditional and elder statesmen voices

20
that used to command respect and unify the people are no longer existent in the region due to
the dissipation of moral values of the youths orchestrated largely by the forces of
urbanisation, modernisation and globalisation. Hence, the emergence and persistence of
various forms of criminalities such as the kidnap for ransom, terrorism, herdsmen/farmers
conflicts and other social vices which have further compounded the plights of the people in
the region. This finding is in line with the previous studies conducted by Inyang and Ubong
(2013) and Inyang (2009) that moral decadence among the youths accounts for the
pervasiveness of kidnap for ransom phenomenon in Nigeria.
Poor governance is another factor found to be driving kidnap for ransom in north western
Nigeria. The corrupt leadership style in the country is regarded as the main catalyst of all
criminal activities such as kidnapping in the country. This revelation finds support in earlier
studies by Nworah (2009), Ogabido (2009), Thom-Otuya (2010) and Arewa (2013). The
study further found that near absence of basic necessities of life such as good road networks,
healthcare facilities, affordable and quality education and above all insecurity of lives and
properties account for the high degree of frustration and aggression manifested particularly
among the jobless and unemployed Nigerian youths. The study also reveals that the ugly
trend of kidnap for ransom would continue so long as the right people and right policies are
not put in place.
The findings of the study corroborate the basic assumptions of SAT. This can be understood
from the perspective that the criminal actions of the kidnappers are oriented towards the
reactions and responses of the families, relatives and friends of the victims (kidnapees), from
whom ransom is collected. Thus, the study found that, in line with the basic assumptions of
SAT, kidnapping incidents have become so pervasive due to the reactions of the families of
the victims in payment of ransoms which is the ultimate motive behind the actions of the
kidnappers. Based on the findings of the study and in line with the SAT the best way to curb
the menace of the kidnap for ransom in Nigeria is to make it totally unattractive to the
kidnappers through refusal to make ransom payment by the relatives of the victims. .
7. Conclusion
This study investigated the catalysts of kidnap for ransom in Kaduna, Nigeria. Kaduna State
Nigeria was the central focus of the study due to its position as one of the three north western
States that are worst-hit by the kidnapping incidents in Nigeria. The study triangulated the
types and sources of data and used qualitative techniques only in the data collection and

21
analysis. It was found in the study that, poverty propels people to committing kidnapping in
Kaduna state Nigeria. Similarly, unemployment and dissipation of the moral values
embedded in the culture of northern Nigeria ranked high among the motivating factors of
kidnap for ransom scourge in Nigeria. However, the major catalysts of kidnapping, according
to the study, include poor governance occasioned by pervasive corruption in the country. It is
established that the inability of various governments in the country to ensure good
governance through the provision of basic necessities of life such as basic healthcare
facilities, quality education, pipe borne potable water, good road networks and other
infrastructural facilities play major role in the emergence of various forms of crimes
including kidnapping in the country. Another major salient finding of the study has to do with
the view that kidnap for ransom in Nigeria is fuelled by the positive reactions of the relatives
of the victims (kidnapees) to the kidnappers through prompt payments of ransom. This view
was shared by almost all the interviewees who are all incidentally victims of kidnapping in
Kaduna State, Nigeria.
8. Policy Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study, therefore, it is pertinent for the citizens to ensure that only
credible, responsive and responsible people are elected into various elective positions. It is a
popular view of the public that the people occupying various strata of government in Nigeria
are there simply to advance their course of looting the nation’s treasury. Integrity is a
watchword if sensitive governance must be put in place which will ensure that the overall
public interest overrides that of selfish and corrupt public officials. If this is ensured, kidnap
for ransom and other criminal activities will be reduced to the bearable limit because sound
leadership gives hope and instil confidence in the followership.
Similarly, for kidnapping incidents to reduce, there is urgent need to address the problem of
unemployment in the country through direct government intervention programmes that will
yield fruitful outcomes. Currently, even the few available intervention programmes
governments at various levels are not effectively managed, the actual people needing the
interventions are often not reached due to official corruption. The popular trend in Nigeria is
that corrupt public officials siphon the resources meant for the targeted beneficiaries,
Examples of this abound and include programmes such as the Tradermoni, Anchor borrower,
N-Power and several other policies that end up strengthening the strong and further
weakening the weak. Since it has been established that kidnap for ransom as well as other

22
criminal activities are rooted in unemployment, it then behoves on public authorities to do the
needful by ensuring sanity and prudence in public service delivery. This way the vulnerable
unemployed youths will be engaged thereby forestalling any tendency of getting them
involved in criminality such as kidnapping.
Another key measure that can tame the upsurge of kidnapping is making some electoral laws
that will disqualify any politician found to be recruiting and arming thugs. The politician
should not just be disqualified but also be made to face the wrath of the law. Equally, the
thugs should be punished according to the gravity of their offences so as to rehabilitate them
and serve as deterrent to others. Similarly, the recent adoption of death penalty by the
national assembly and the Lagos State government should be embraced and strictly enforced
across all states and levels of government.
There is need to redesign the various curricular of education in the country to reflect the
societal need for moral education and specific courses be designed on corruption and good
governance. This will ensure “the catch them young” strategy, so that the youths will grow up
with sound knowledge about corrupt practices and the need to detest them. This role can be
played by the ministry of education with the collaboration of stakeholders at various levels of
education in the country. Similarly, the northern traditional communal core values of respect,
honesty and contentment should be reawakened so as to enlighten the growing northern
youths and make them imbibe the culture of their forbearers.
Another important way of reducing the incidents of kidnap for ransom in the country is to
discourage the act and make it unattractive to the kidnappers through refusal to pay ransom to
the kidnappers. Even though this is obviously quite challenging and difficult to do
particularly for the families of the victims but it is most likely a short term remedy for
kidnapping particularly considering the fact that in several kidnap incidents even when
ransom is paid the victims end up being killed.
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