Link to Article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/15/gunmen-kidnap-primary-school-pupils-in-nigerias-northwest-kaduna
Attackers have stormed a primary school in the northwestern Nigerian state of Kaduna and seized three teachers. This kidnapping is the fifth mass school abduction since December. “The number of abductions in the north is just mind-boggling,” said Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris, reporting from Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. “It’s becoming the most lucrative criminal enterprise in Nigeria today – and it’s growing fast.” Between June 2011 and March 2020, at least $18m was paid to kidnappers as ransom, according to a report by SB Morgen. Attempts by the military and police to tackle the gangs have had little success, while many worry state authorities are making the situation worse by letting kidnappers go unpunished, paying them off or providing incentives.
I agree with the last statement when it comes to these kidnappings. The more ransomes you pay the more people you will have kidnapping other people because they want money. These kidnappings won’t go away if you don’t put the kidnappers in jail because they will just keep kidnapping until they physically can’t anymore. It is really unfortunate that the military in Nigeria can not figure out how to put these gunmen in jail. This is the fifth kidnapping since December and they have no leads as to who is doing this and where they are keeping these poor people? It is just very upsetting.
This goes into the whole idea of international relations on what the United States and other countries should or should not get involved in. Obviously a few kidnappings in Nigeria is not going to grab the attention of the United States or other countries they have bigger problems to worry about. But the Nigerian government needs to figure out a way to try and solve these kidnappings because they’re not going to stop happening by not doing anything. I feel like the only way for these kidnappings to stop at this point is to get another country who has a stronger military to come in and shut these kidnappers down. But I don’t see that happening anytime soon.