THE BUSINESS OF BANDITRY: WHY WOULD KIDNAPPERS ABANDON A CRIME THAT PAYS MILLIONS?
North-West Nigeria's insecurity has defied logic, common sense, and repeated promises of government intervention. How do we expect bandits to abandon kidnapping when ransom payments continue to generate millions of naira for criminal networks? How do we expect banditry to end when kidnapping has evolved into a lucrative criminal enterprise, while innocent citizens are left to bear the financial, psychological, and human costs? Even more disturbing are allegations of political interference, questionable negotiations, and possible complicity by individuals who may benefit directly or indirectly from the ransom economy. These allegations demand credible, independent investigations. They must neither be dismissed casually nor treated as established facts without verifiable evidence. The fundamental question, however, remains: If kidnapping continues to generate enormous profits, what economic incentive do these criminals have to abandon it? THE STATISTICS ARE ALARMING Accor...