Insecurity: Anglican Bishop identifies major cause of kidnapping, banditry


Rt. Rev. Christian Onyia, Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Nike in Enugu State has proffered major solutions to kidnapping and banditry in Nigeria.

Onyia said Nigeria had witnessed an increase in kidnapping and banditry due to inequity, injustice, poverty, lack of education and lack of employment opportunities.

He said the issues of kidnapping and banditry would be a thing of the past if the issues identified were dealt with.

The cleric spoke on Saturday while reading his Bishop Charge at the Third Session of the Fifth Synod of the Diocese held at St. Peters Anglican Church, Thinkers Corner, Enugu.

According to Onyia: “Inequity, injustice, poverty, lack of education and lack of opportunities for employment are major drivers of insecurity in the country.

“If these problems are addressed, the recruitment of young people by groups of bandits will be limited.”

Onyia said the continuous activities of kidnappers and bandits were portraying Nigeria as unsafe.

He stressed that with the current level of kidnapping and banditry, it “seems the Federal and state governments are not doing enough to tackle them”.