By Opeyemi Adelakun
The Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government to unveil concrete measures aimed at tackling the growing wave of kidnappings across the country.
The opposition party said the worsening security situation has created fear among Nigerians, with criminal gangs continuing to operate across several parts of the country.
In a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Judith Aguenu, on Wednesday, the DLA described kidnapping as a national emergency affecting lives, businesses and economic activities.
According to the party, recent government efforts have not sufficiently reassured Nigerians that the crisis is being addressed with the urgency required.
“The recent decision of the Federal Government to recruit 1,000 forest guards as part of its response to insecurity has done little to reassure Nigerians that the administration fully understands the magnitude of the kidnapping crisis currently threatening lives, livelihoods, and national stability,” the statement said.
The party lamented the increasing cases of abductions across highways, homes, schools, farms, places of worship and rural communities.
“Today, millions of Nigerians live in fear. Hardly a day passes without reports of citizens being abducted from highways, homes, schools, farms, places of worship, and communities. The fear of kidnapping has become a major obstacle to freedom of movement, economic activities, agricultural production, and social development,” it stated.
The DLA warned that the security challenge is forcing many farmers to abandon their farmlands, a situation it said could worsen food insecurity and economic hardship across the country.
“Farmers are abandoning their farms, businesses are relocating, families are living under constant fear, and communities are increasingly vulnerable to criminal elements,” the statement added.
The party argued that addressing kidnapping requires more than security deployments, urging the government to tackle the underlying causes of criminality, including poverty, unemployment and inadequate intelligence gathering.
“We maintain that the solution to kidnapping cannot be limited to security deployments alone. Government must address the economic conditions that fuel criminality, strengthen intelligence gathering, tackle corruption within public institutions, improve security coordination, deploy modern surveillance technology, and ensure swift prosecution of criminal offenders and their sponsors,” it said.
The opposition party also called on President Tinubu to declare the kidnapping crisis a national emergency and coordinate stronger nationwide interventions.
“We therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare the kidnapping epidemic a national emergency and immediately activate stronger policies and coordinated actions capable of reversing the current trend,” the statement read.
The DLA subsequently gave the Federal Government 14 days to present and commence the implementation of measurable actions aimed at reducing kidnappings and restoring public confidence in the nation’s security architecture.
“Accordingly, the Democratic Leadership Alliance hereby issues a 14-day notice to the Federal Government to unveil and commence the implementation of practical and measurable actions aimed specifically at reducing kidnapping and restoring public confidence in the nation’s security architecture,” the party stated.
It further warned that failure to demonstrate meaningful progress within the stipulated period could lead to public advocacy campaigns, strategic engagements and legal actions to draw attention to the security crisis.
“Nigeria cannot continue on this dangerous path. The protection of lives and property remains the primary responsibility of government, and Nigerians deserve to live without fear of abduction, ransom demands, or violent criminal attacks,” the statement added.
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