MITIGATING INSURGENCY AND KIDNAPPING FOR RANSOM IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF ANAMBRA STATE
Keywords:
Mitigating Insurgency, Kidnapping, Ransom, Nigeria, Anambra state.Abstract
This descriptive analysis examines socio-economic, psychological and governance aspects that contribute to insurgency and ransom in Anambra State, Nigeria. Armed violence, teenage cultism and abduction are rising in Anambra, once one of the Southeast's safest states. Mixing quantitative and qualitative methods, the research collected data from a varied range of respondents from different backgrounds. To explore the causes, community experiences, government interventions and long-term remedies, a descriptive research was conducted. Fieldwork was done in rural Orumba, Aguata, Ihiala and Anambra South and high-risk districts along the Enugu-Onitsha motorway. High-risk areas for highway assaults and ransomware were chosen. A stratified and purposeful random sample of 150 people was taken from one impacted community. Thirty community leaders, forty security force personnel, forty citizens and company owners, twenty civil society representatives and twenty kidnapped or affected women were sampled. An organised questionnaire was the main data collection tool. This questionnaire was evaluated by two Nnamdi Azikiwe University Criminology and Security Studies experts. In the nearby state of Enugu, a pilot study had a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.84, indicating strong reliability. Data was collected by qualified field assistants and analysed using descriptive statistics like frequency tables, mean scores and standard deviations. Participants provided data in-person and online. Data shows that poverty, unemployment and political marginalisation are the main vulnerability factors. Youth gangs, ineffective border control and security agency miscommunication worsen the problem. The respondents found that kidnapping disrupts economic activity, affects victims' families financially and causes long-term psychological distress. Local vigilante groups and monitoring technologies are becoming effective mitigation techniques. To restore peace and stability in Anambra State and beyond, the study suggests competent governance, anti-corruption efforts, youth empowerment and surveillance infrastructure investment.
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