According to the report from the Punch, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Paul Ananaba linked the rise in kidnapping and other criminal activities to the current governance structure, arguing that inequity and corruption have led to a situation where criminals can flourish and even rise to positions of power.
He suggested that the centralization of power has made the federal government an attractive target for those seeking to exploit the system for personal gain.
He proposed that a regional governance model, where people have closer ties and greater familiarity with one another, would reduce the incentive for criminal activities such as kidnapping.
He reasoned that in a more localized system, it would be harder for criminals to hide or gain influence, as communities would be more likely to hold them accountable.
He said, "Much of the annoyance and the grievance of many of these kidnappers and all that, and the inequity you see in the practice of governance now, where evil triumphs. Somebody kidnaps and before you know it, he’s now flowing in money. He uses the money to buy votes and becomes a leader.
So, a lot of people will say that’s good, let’s go and try our luck. But in the regional government, where people know themselves, the centre is not attractive. Where will you start the kidnapping from? If people know themselves and anything happens, they will know who to sue and that will reduce it. So, kidnapping is on the rise, but there is no work."