By_ Boniface Chizea

It has been brought to my attention that kidnappings are on the increase on the Lekki-Ikoyi link Bridge. Now this is getting dangerously close as this is my route out of Lekki phase one.

One of the kidnaps took place at 7pm on Friday March 12, 2021 and a ransom of 200K was reported to have been paid by the Father of the lady that was the victim. I was also informed that that there was a second abduction for which a ransom of one million Naira was paid to secure release.

Earlier there was the photo of a lady that went viral on social media with bloody bruises that was a victim of mugging as she went jogging in the early hours of the morning on the same bridge and most thought she could have known better than to jog that early in the morning. Before now we feared such incidents only on our express ways but now there is really no place to hide.

The point is we must come to terms with the reality that the prevalent security architecture is clearly overwhelmed and something must give right now if citizens must not resort to self help. The last time I heard of kidnapping on the Lagos Ibadan express way one was clearly worried but now this! The security situation in the country has now gotten to a stage that it can no longer be business as usual.

One of the hallmarks of a failed state is the presence of warlords that dominate and control different swathes of the country and Nigeria is slipping before our very eyes into a failed State. The time to declare emergency on security in the country was yesterday. As we battle the pandemic and its nefarious effects as it decimates life and livelihood, we must address this glaring failure in security as no country has any chance of making any progress particularly with regard to attracting foreign Investment capital when it’s attraction is so glaringly downgraded with the sort of security failure we witness across the length and breadth of this country.

It is welcome development the the President has ordered that those not authorised to carry killer weapons should be summarily dealt with. A desperate situation calls for desperate measures if there must be some respite. We hope that this long overdo instruction would be kept. There was a time when it was a common feature to find armed police at the link bridge. We appreciate that security is clearly overwhelmed but this is a strategic monumental national asset which must not be left at any time of the day unprotected.

Please return security to the bridge which must be monitored so to dissuade them from the usual pastime of extorting commuters. Please return armed police agents to discourage this unwholesome development of kidnaps on the Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge.

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