Factors Underlying Kidnapping in Southern Taraba State, Nigeria

Yikwab Yikwabs, CASAS’ member, has published an article in Zenodo with Usman Umoru, Arokoyo Jacob Eniola & Moses Danjum Musa.

Abstract: Nigeria has been thrown into a quagmire by a vicious cycle manifested in different forms of criminalities. The appalling carnage perpetrated by Boko Haram in the north and the wanton mayhem unleashed by militants in the Niger Delta are typical instances. Today, kidnapping for ransom which started from the Niger Delta region has taken center stage, especially in the northern part of the country. Even though the phenomenon of kidnapping has gained traction among local and international scholars, the ethnic dimension of kidnappings, particularly in Nigeria remains largely overlooked. This paper unravels the nexus between kidnapping and ethnicity as well as other factors underlying kidnapping in Southern Taraba state Nigeria. Anchored on the queer ladder and anomie theory, the study unpacks other causal factors of kidnapping and the implications these have on the socio-economic development of the region. In doing so, the exploratory research design was adopted using key informant and in-depth interviews. The study employed purposive sampling to select 20 respondents for the study. These respondents include kidnap victims, security agents, community leaders, and members of the public within the study area. Key informant interviews and in-depth interviews were conducted among them and thematic analysis was employed in the data analysis. The study found that kidnapping is now a daily occurrence in the region and has taken an ethnic dimension. Ethnic form of kidnapping in the region is a product of the long-standing ethnic rivalries which have manifested in ethnic violence for decades among and between the various ethnic groups in the region. Other factors underlying kidnapping in the region as revealed by this study include corrupt leaders and security agents, poor forest governance, and economic and political gains. The paper recommends that to mitigate kidnapping in the region, factors underlying ethnic tensions among ethnic groups must be addressed.

Read the full text here: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14483838

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