The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has expressed concern over the upsurge in kidnapping across Nigeria, which it said had become a national menace that has negatively impacted on the social and economic life of the country.
In a communiqué issued at the fourth quarterly meeting of the Guild, held in Yola, Adamawa State, and signed by its President, Mrs. Funke Egbemode and General Secretary, Victoria Ibanga,  it stated that the new dimension kidnapping has assumed is portraying the country negatively in the eye of the global community, with the potential of scaring foreign investors, at a time their contribution is crucial to revamping the country’s ailing economy.
The Guild also said attracting foreign direct investment is a critical factor in reflating the nation’s sagging economy and points out that this will be gravely frustrated by the rising tide of kidnapping as no investor would stake his or her investment in an insecure environment.
It cited abductions of the wife of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Margaret Emefiele, former minister, Bagudu Hirse, a senior official of the NNPC, Reverend Father John Adeyi, some students and teachers in Lagos State, a female journalist working in Benue State, Iyuadoo Tor-Agbidye, among other abductions that have taken place.
The communique reads in part: “We urges the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, rejig its security apparatus and develop a pro-active security strategy that will checkmate the menace.
“It is equally desirable for the government to urgently evolve anti-kidnapping measures and legislations, in order to combat the current wave of crimes and criminality in Nigeria.
“We also recommend the strengthening of the justice system to engender speedy prosecution of kidnap suspects to serve as a deterrent to other criminally-minded persons.
“In the same vein, we urge security agencies to be alive to their responsibility of providing adequate security to the citizens by weeding out from among them the bad elements who have the propensity to aid and abet criminals.”