KIDNAPPED JOURNALISTS: Wider Investigation Needed

Sir,

KIDNAPPED JOURNALISTS: Wider Investigation Needed

Every Nigerian (except the crooks and those who encourage them) is happy about the eventual release of the kidnapped journalists.

Many regard it as a panic measure, the sacking (by Governor Theodore Orji) of the monarch in whose domain the journalists returning from Akwa Ibom were kidnapped and holed up for eight days. Proper investigation should have been carried out since a monarch might not be privy to all the antics of criminals in his domain because some could be ready tools for outsiders’ agents. It should not be forgotten that in Abia; it was once reported that a monarch and his wife were killed by some criminals for volunteering information on their hideout.

Nigerians should not rule out that someone outside Abia State could be responsible for the current kidnap of the journalists, probably to give Abia State government (or any opposition for that matter) a bad name or even as a lesson to journalists. Therefore another area that should be investigated is to know from what source the journalists got the N3million cash which was reportedly lost to their abductors; to ascertain if it was a trap, for whatever reason. The amount is enough as a "collect-back ransom".

President Jonathan has given an order to the security agencies to apprehend those kidnappers; let us see how far this order fares. Let us see whether the Police would tell us that they have killed all, just as the Akwa Ibom Police command posited that in their bid to free elder brother of Senator Bob Effiong from the kidnappers’ den, they killed three and arrested none. If the journalists’ kidnappers are arrested, it will not be difficult for the released journalists to indentify some of them; it is only then it would be taken that truly the kidnappers have been arrested. But President Jonathan confirmed that one of the kidnappers was nabbed. Could this person not be identified now by the freed journalists, and further used to apprehend those still at large?

Kenneth Abimbola, Esq. Plot 15, Road 23, Agip Estate, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.