An Investigation Into the Menace of Kidnapping in Nigeria and the Report Effectiveness of the Press
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
This study had the following objectives:
- To determine the frequency with which kidnapping is covered in the selected Nigerian newspapers.
- To determine the prominence given to the reporting of kidnapping in the selected Nigerian Newspapers.
- To determine the depth of coverage given to kidnapping in the selected Nigerian Newspapers.
- To determine the direction of reportage of kidnapping stories in Nigerian Newspapers, the Punch and the Guardian.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
INTRODUCTION
Kidnapping can be seen as false imprisonment in the sense that it involves the illegal confinement of individuals against his or her own will by another individual in such a way as to violate the confined individual’s right to be free from the restraint of movement. This involves taking away of person against the person’s will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment or confinement without legal authority. This is often done for ransom or in furtherance of another crime. No one is free from being kidnapped. In Nigeria, the kidnappers are everywhere targeting both foreigners and non-foreigners alike with little or no resistance from our law enforcement agents. Nigerian security system has been weakened in the face of this confrontation, a little has been done to find the socio-economic and underlining factors precipitating this crime. Several theories have been put forward to explain kidnapping within the Nigerian context. Accordingly, the “Economic Theory” views kidnapping from economic concept of making ends to meet, Nseabasi (2009) citing (Tzanelli 2006, Gerth and Mills 1948: 56-7) has raised the idea that kidnapping is regulated by the laws of demand and supply and is a type of social action that involves the calculation on the most efficient means to the desired ends. Kidnapping is a social enterprise and according to The Nation (May 10, 2002), “kidnappers are businessmen, they just happen to be on the illegal side of it…if you deprive them of the demand then there is not going to be any supply. This is the reason why perpetrators of this crime choose their victims based on their ability to cough out good money (Tzanelli 2006). As kidnapping was first used as a weapon to fight for economic and environmental justice in the Niger Delta, the economic motivation was intermittently used as a means to fund and sustain the fight. The beginning of 2007 saw the emergence of various other deviant groups by various names that hide under liberation struggle to commit economic crimes. The” Political theory” of Kidnapping see the act as a Political Tool which is motivated by attempt to suppress, outsmart, intimidate and subjugate political opponents, like the case in Anambara state when the former Central Bank governor who then was PDP gubernatorial candidate had his father kidnapped by the aggrieved opponents of the same party who felt marginalised by the PDP political process. Turner (1998) as cited by Nseabsi (2009) established relationship between “money and politics” accordingly, where there are political motivations for kidnapping and where ransoms are also demanded. Such ransoms are often used to further the political objectives of the kidnapping organisation or simply to facilitate the survival of the organisation. Nseabasi (2009) in his treatise stated that the most top kidnapping operations are masterminded by government officials, opposition groups, unrewarded or uncompensated members of election rigging militant groups, among others. Kidnapping is then seen as instrument for political vendetta and settling of political scores.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought an investigation into the menace of kidnapping in Nigeria and the report effectiveness of the press
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information an investigation into the menace of kidnapping in Nigeria and the report effectiveness of the press. 200 staff of select newspapers in Nigeria was selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data collected from the respondents were analyzed in tabular form with simple percentage for easy understanding.
A total of 133(one hundred and thirty three) questionnaires were distributed and 133 questionnaires were returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain an investigation into the menace of kidnapping in Nigeria and the report effectiveness of the press.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of menace of kidnapping in Nigeria and the report effectiveness of the press
Summary
This study was on an investigation into the menace of kidnapping in Nigeria and the report effectiveness of the press. Four objectives were raised which included: To determine the frequency with which kidnapping is covered in the selected Nigerian newspapers, to determine the prominence given to the reporting of kidnapping in the selected Nigerian Newspapers, to determine the depth of coverage given to kidnapping in the selected Nigerian Newspapers, to determine the direction of reportage of kidnapping stories in Nigerian Newspapers, the Punch and the Guardian. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 staff of selected newspaper in Abuja. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made editors, marketers, senior staff and junior staff was used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
Socio-economic and political structures that breeds injustice, poverty and unemployment will no doubt constitute a rape on the dignity of God’s own people, as the people of the state have been fed with an unacceptable level of violent crimes especially kidnapping. Victims of kidnapping, their family members and other close allays or business associates collectively suffer from the debilitating psychological trauma on one hand and from the extremely huge amount demanded as ransom that they often provide not without hitches on the other hand. Outside the individual level, there is a disjointed social tie and relationship; the ripple effects of kidnapping are evident in the political, economic and general security level of the people of Nigeria. As economic activities in the state are disrupted, security of lives and property was highly illusive in the state to the extent that all forms of cultural, social and to make worst religious gatherings were if at all conducted, was with an advance sense of fear and personal-group disorder.
Recommendation
1) All Religious leaders should discourage and preach against this callous and dubious act of kidnapping and help in the proper character formation of their pews. Also, members of their pew who have amassed wealth through unethical means should be preached against.
2) Religious organisations should make frantic effort to draw closer to families through home fellowships that will help in conditioning and deterring the minds of members from involvement in violent acts as kidnapping.
3) Religious functionaries and their organisations should enlarge their capacity for charity works and developmental projects especially the ones that are human capital focused to complement the efforts of the government.
4) It is a fact that begs for no contradiction to assert that, the betterment of any society starts from the home. Thus, every parent should lay good precedence for their children as have been learnt from their various religious organisations to reduce the issue of poor or degraded moral fiber that often aggravates vices like kidnapping among other violent crimes.
5) Families as unit of faith community should pay serious attention to their wards and cheek-mate their activities especially when they are at the various levels of post primary education; noting their peers and the form of social activities they patronize
REFERENCES
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- Adebayo, I. (2011). Analysis: Nigeria’s Growing Kidnap Industry. Retrieved From http://www.234next.com/csp/cmsNEXT/Home/5682117-146/story.csp on 20/05/2011.
- Adega, M. (2009). Nigerian Worsening Epidemic of Kidnappings: Must Many More Have to Suffer. Retrieved from http://www.saharareporters.com/ article/nigeriash-worsening-epidemic-kidnappings-must-many-morehave-suffer on 22/01/2011.
- Adewale, S. A. (1994). Crime and African Traditional Religion. Orita XXVI/ 1-2, 59-66.
- Adeyemi, B. (2010, July 5). MAN Pangs of Kidnapping on Investment. The Guardian, P. 15.
- Agha, U. A. (2010). Religious Ethics in a Permissive Society. Abakaliki: SAPS (Nig.).
- Amaize, E. (2004). How Kidnappers Hijacked Abia. Retrieved from http://www. vanguardngr.com/2010/11/how-kidnappers-hijacked-abia/ on 14/06/2011.
