The federal government is undertaking joint security operations to attack the camps of kidnappers in the south-eastern states, the minister of state for information, Labaran Maku said yesterday in Abuja.
Mr. Maku, who spoke with journalists after the federal executive council meeting, said government is also gathering information about where the kidnappers are staying. He did not however say when the operation against the kidnappers will start.
"The entire communities, especially state government, local government, traditional rulers, community organisation should cooperate," he said. "These criminals are not ghosts, they come from amongst our communities. They don't come from outside.
So, if the public can give cooperation and give sensitive information to security agencies, it will help these security agencies to cordon out some of these camps and flush out those who are engaged in this criminal activities.
This is a very serious matter because without peace and security, we cannot develop and nothing can be done properly," he warned.
The federal government, according to the minister of Information, Dora Akunyili also called on all the communities in the South-East and all other communities where kidnapping has become common to join hands with government and their traditional rulers to fish out the kidnappers.
The Council meeting, which started at five minutes after ten with the vice president and almost all the ministers in attendance, said the issue of kidnapping should be arrested once and for all.
While briefing journalists after the meeting, which lasted for less than two hours, Mrs Akunyili said President Goodluck Jonathan is sad over the increasing rate of kidnapping in the South-East.
Unacceptable practice
She told reporters that during the meeting, "reports were made about the security situation in Nigeria and the minister of police affairs reported efforts being made by Nigerian government to ameliorate the situation. The FCT minister reported that there is improved security in Abuja in the last three months.
President Jonathan expressed sadness over the rate of kidnapping, especially in the South-East and warned that something needs to be done to arrest the situation as soon as possible." She stated that though something is already been done about the situation, "what the president is referring to is that more efforts will be geared toward fighting the kidnapping saga in the South-East.
"The governors of the South-East are already working hard to ensure that this menace is curtailed to the barest minimum, or totally eradicated because it is unacceptable for any human being to pick a fellow human being in the name of kidnapping and demanding for ransom" Mrs. Akunyili added.
Mr. Maku, who was also at the briefing, added that the federal government has called on all communities in the south-east and in other parts of the countries, where security has become an issue, "to cooperate with security agencies that are already undertaking the operation to fish out the criminals wherever they may be hiding and deal with the situation decisively; because the issue of kidnapping is disrupting the normal life and commercial activities in some parts of those states and government cannot stay back and watch criminals take over the entire situation in those states".
Various criminal gangs in several southeastern states, especially in Abia State, are operating seemingly unchallenged by policemen deployed to the states. Many Nigerians and foreigners - including women and children - have been held hostage by gangs who are believed to have the backing of some politicians in the states where they operate..
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