Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana (SAN), has berated both the federal and state governments for what he described as their “shameful complacency” in tackling the escalating cases of kidnappings across the country.
Speaking with Channels Television on ‘Politics Today’, on the deteriorating security situation, Falana lamented that Nigeria had become “a country where bandits operate freely while the authorities watch helplessly.”
He said, “It is a national embarrassment that in a modern state like Nigeria, criminal gangs can abduct citizens, negotiate ransoms, and release victims without being tracked or apprehended. It shows how unserious our leadership has become about the safety of its people.”
The senior lawyer questioned why security agencies had failed to deploy available technology to trace kidnappers, despite the sophistication of modern communication systems.
“Every phone call can be traced within seconds. So, what stops our security operatives from locating these criminals? Instead, we leave traumatized families to sell their belongings to pay ransom. That is unacceptable,” he said.
Falana further warned that the continuous payment of ransom was sustaining the criminal enterprise, making kidnapping one of the most profitable illegal businesses in the country.
“As long as families keep paying ransoms, the kidnappers will never stop,” he cautioned. “We have made the trade too lucrative for them. That’s why Nigeria is drowning in this mess. We have turned ourselves into an embarrassment before the world.”
His comments come amid a disturbing spike in abductions across several states, with many victims freed only after paying large sums.
Security analysts have repeatedly urged the government to reform its intelligence systems, embrace technology-driven policing, and hold security agencies accountable for failures in curbing the menace.
