TO say the very least, the trending video wherein the national president of the Afenifere National Youth Council, Prince Eniola Ojajuni, appealed to Nigerians to help him raise the N100 million ransom demanded by the kidnappers who threatened to kill him by 3 pm on Monday, is heartbreaking. We desperately hope that he will be rescued. Pleading for his life with a kidnapper pointing an AK-47 at his chest, Ojajuni said: “Nigerians, please help me! Your donation—N100,000, N50,000, or N1,000,000—can go a long way in saving my life. My name is Prince Eniola Ojajuni. God bless you.” Confirming his abduction, the national secretary of the council, Abiodun Aderohunmu, disclosed that the kidnappers had demanded N100 million for his release. He said: “The Afenifere National Youths Council is deeply saddened to announce the kidnapping of its national president, Prince Eniola Joseph Ojajuni, in Abuja. During the attack, he sustained a gunshot wound, and we are extremely concerned about his safety.”
A voice recording said to have been a conversation between the family and the kidnappers also hit the airwaves. A family member could be heard pleading for a reduction of the ransom. “Please, what can you do for us? How do we pay? We don’t have that kind of money (N100 million). We are planning to sell a small piece of family land in the village. If we sell it, we’ll see how much we can raise. How do we bring the money? Where do we pay?” But the kidnapper insisted: “You must pay in cash,” forcing the family member to say: “Please, can you accept N10 million? That’s all we can raise.” Then the kidnapper delivered this demonic verdict: “God forbid bad thing. If you continue talking nonsense, I swear to Almighty God you won’t hear from me again. The last price my boss gave me is N100 million, but if you can raise something better, let me know.”
Speaking on the family’s ordeal since the incident, the wife of the victim, Mrs Omolara Ojajuni, said: “Not hearing from him for days, not seeing him, knowing he wasn’t feeling well before he left, and now imagining him in pain, is unbearable. Looking at my children’s faces as they ask about their father and when he will return is heartbreaking. Before he left, he and my son were playing and talking. Now, my son keeps asking, ‘Where is Daddy?’ I can’t afford to lose my husband. He has health issues. I know he’s in pain.” Happily, however, yesterday, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the immediate deployment of the Intelligence Response Team to ensure the safe rescue of the Afenifere Youth Leader, who was kidnapped on February 17 while travelling to Abuja, directing the team to prioritise his safe rescue.
To say the least, the case of Prince Ojajuni illustrates the scant value that the Nigerian Establishment typically attaches to life. Rich in rhetoric but weak in action, the authorities have allowed terrorists free reign on the land for rather too long. Terrorists of all hues, taking advantage of the lax security situation created by official slumber, continue to play ping-pong with human life. In the South-West, in particular, Fulani herdsmen have turned the forests, farms and expressways to killing fields, provoking ethnic tensions while they shed blood at will. Considered by many to be the safest among the country’s geopolitical zones, the South-West has become increasingly vulnerable to terrorist attacks. In any case, if anyone needed any prodding about the security situation nationwide, it is provided by the pathetic case of a vibrant young man abducted by criminals and subjected, like so many others, to horrors that no law-abiding citizen should have to endure. If even as a form of penance, the Nigerian State must rescue Ojajuni and all victims of kidnapping in the country. The clear message conveyed by his ordeal and that of many other citizens is that the country is not safe. But all hope is not lost.
Commenting on the recent rescue of Mrs. Folashade Odumosu, wife of retired Assistant Inspector-General, Hakeem Odumosu, by the police, we harped on the urgent need for sustained investment in intelligence-led policing and a broader commitment to tackling the scourge of kidnapping. Citing statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics showing that Nigerians paid a staggering N2.23 trillion in ransoms between May 2023 and April 2024, we said that the crisis had evolved into a lucrative criminal enterprise affecting families across all socioeconomic strata. As we noted, the NPF showed that it could rise to the occasion when equipped with the right tools and intelligence. We have not been persuaded to change our view that the success must serve as a catalyst for further reforms, including the adoption of advanced technology, improved inter-agency collaboration, and community engagement to gather actionable intelligence. We hope the police will replicate the Odumosu success in this case.
Again, we believe that it is time to properly equip Amotekun. Events since its formation have shown that with the right equipment and political support, Amotekun can do valiantly. Only this week, the agency, in collaboration with local hunters, successfully freed four kidnapped victims, including the two wives and two sons of the traditional chief, Baale Alagede. According to reports, the victims were abducted around 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 25, from their residence in Alagede village, near Kola Daisi University in Akinyele, Ibadan, Oyo State. After the operation, a police team arrived at the scene and took custody of the rescued individuals. It is time the government rolled out state police to democratise the country’s security architecture.
It is sad that Nigerians have become easy prey to kidnappers. How can the country develop with this climate of insecurity? We urge the security agencies to redouble their efforts and change the narrative. Also, state governments, while vigorously pushing for state policing, should reactivate traditional means of communal security. They should mobilise the people against terrorists, enhance public awareness and encourage vigilance.
We urge the government to ensure the release of Ojajuni and safe return to his family. It will be passing a positive message across the land by doing so.
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