‘Why insecurity is escalating’

The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ondo State Command, Oluyemi Joshua, has attributed the rising wave of insecurity in the Southwest to the evolution of crime, with kidnapping for ransom replacing armed robbery as the region’s most pressing security threat.

Joshua said that while no society is completely free of crime, security challenges continue to change with time.

According to him, crimes such as armed robbery, once the dominant security concern in Nigeria, have declined significantly, while kidnapping has emerged as a more widespread and lucrative criminal enterprise.

“Crime evolves just like innovation,” he said.

The NSCDC commandant explained that the country’s kidnapping crisis has its roots in the farmers-herders conflicts that initially revolved around disputes over grazing routes and farmlands.

“What started as clashes between farmers and herders gradually metamorphosed into organised criminal activities centred on kidnapping for ransom,” he said.

According to Joshua, many criminal elements abandoned cattle rearing after discovering that abduction for ransom offered greater financial rewards.

“They now target vulnerable communities, abduct innocent citizens and demand huge ransom payments from families. From a security perspective, every crime thrives on opportunity, and criminals exploit existing vulnerabilities,” he added.

He stressed the need for stronger community vigilance, intelligence gathering and collaboration among security agencies to curb the growing menace of kidnapping across the Southwest.