A nation in extreme crisis: unusual pattern of criminality.

It has just been reported of the case of a teenager who kidnapped himself and demanded five hundred thousand naira in ransom for his release. And all over the country of Nigeria, kidnapping has been upgraded to a capital offense with death penalty.

This is not just a simple case of a bad child caught in a juvenile delinquency. It is a reflection of a criminal orientation. It shows that kidnapping remains the easiest, but one of the most dangerous crimes. It has replaced other crimes as the crime of choice for those with little regard for human life and who are prepared to cause maximum chaos in the lives of others.

Can Nigeria fight the crime of kidnapping with conventional methods? Apparently No! Increasing punishment to the death penalty, without affecting improved means of detection and prosecution is a self-defeating approach. You must first detect the crimes, catch the criminal and successfully prosecute him before the issue of the gravity of punishment comes in.

In fighting kidnapping, emphasis should go to education, community sensitization, changes in cash handling policy and money transfer rules. If ransom can longer be paid because nobody can withdraw certain amount of cash, the effect on kidnapping will far outweigh  the current measures