My State is Unsafe.

It is a painful thing that my city and state is no longer safe for travelers. Both citizens and foreigners are crying out for help. I wonder why people would prey on their fellow humans, that makes me think how humane and inhumane we can be.

Kidnaping isn't a new thing in my country as a whole. The rate at which it occurs theses days is so alarming and with the poor security makes it worse. People have grown zero trust on the security provided by the government to protect us. Nothing at all to trust again, this is so sad.

Just within this month of October, three different coordinated kidnappings were successfully carried out along an expressway in my State and six people were reportedly kidnapped. These victims were travellers on their way to their destinations. I wish humans have the ability to see the future clearly before it happens. In a broad daylight were these crimes committed without fear. I used to think that kidnapping is done at night where the kidnappers covered their face in the dark, now it is a totally different thing.

The first one happened around 1pm where one person was kidnapped and another shot dead. The second one was carried out around 5:30pm. Three people were taken and another one person killed. The third Kidnapping took place around 7pm and a man who is a road safety official and a newly married lady were the victims.

According to a victim I know, a man who lives two houses away from ours. He was on a business trip not knowing that something like that was going to happen. He said that;

"When we were brought to their hideout, some started interrogating us while some went through our phones. On getting to the road safety official, they queried him if he was a policeman but he told them he belongs to the road safety corps. They questioned him more assuring him that they will not harm him but he insisted on being a road safety official. They then told him that they will help him out.

Two hours later, 2 of the kidnappers escorted the man out of the hideout and set him free. I was surprised after we paid ransom and were released to hear that the military men in a nearby checkpoint claimed to the public that the road safety official escaped during a shootout with the kidnappers"

These military men did nothing at all when kidnappers operated at a close range but now claim to have rescued one person. This is a common thing among military and all security forces in my country Nigeria at large. Nothing again to trust. Not even the armed military are to be trusted. That is how robbers will attack and after they are gone, the police will appear from nowhere arresting innocent youths on sight.

The victim continued that..

"We all paid ransoms. One of us paid Five million Naira, another paid 4 million, another paid 2 million, one of us paid 1.5million while another paid 1 million, making a total of 13.5 million Naira.

All the ransoms were paid just about one pole from the military check point along the road.

As soon as the ransoms were brought, two military men from the check point moved towards the ransom pay point and stood. To our surprise, the kidnappers carefully and comfortably counted the money in bundles right there and then without any fear. We were held by some of the kidnappers in the bush right behind them where we watched and identified our people as they brought the ransoms.

Soon after counting the money, they signalled to our captors and we were released"

The big question is why should kidnappers decide to collect ransoms just a stone throw from a military check point manned by armed military men?

How can a dog eat the bone that is hung around his neck for safe keeping. The military is supposed to protect us but they have become our nightmares. They now connive with kidnappers to deal with us.

We are not safe on the road again. God protect us all!

@Gianna-B

Lead image was taken from unsplash.com