1.1 Introduction
Kidnapping is adjudged to be unlawful detention of persons through the instrument of force, threat, fraud or enticement for different political and socio-economic reasons. It has become one of the major security threats to Nigeria as a sovereign entity. School Children Abduction appears to be one of the most technical and most lucrative in nature, considering the fact that a lot of people are involved unannounced. Kidnappers have a powerful mode of operation which creates fear in individuals because they are uncertain of the next person to be abducted. The operators of armed robbery can kidnap immediate family members and divulge all round information about whoever is their target. Kidnapping is not new in Nigeria and is one of the challenges facing the country at present.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Since the episode of the civil war between 1967 and 1970, the corporate existence of the country has not been threatened as obtainable in this fourth republic dispensation. Kidnapping became alarming in the Niger Delta region when militants in February, 2006, abducted some oil workers ostensibly to draw global attention to the deplorable situation in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of the country. Since then, kidnapping has spread to most parts of the country, especially the south-eastern and south-southern regions of Nigeria. The targets are no longer oil workers or foreigners alone; every Nigerian is now a target. In fact, the safety of persons in Nigeria and their property cannot be guaranteed owing to the near daily incidence of kidnapping.
Once seen as a foreign problem, today the practice of kidnapping and ransom seeking has spread across the country affecting everyone irrespective of the societal class, threatening national peace and security of the country (Dodo, 2010; Ibrahim & Mukhtar, 2017). It is against the foregoing security dilemma caused by kidnapping in the country that this study examines how kidnapping of students and staff affected academic activities in Nigeria’s institutions of learning.
Abduction is a by-product of terrorism and social vices that have spread throughout the world. It is an endemic disease that has spread throughout Nigeria's states. It is a process of kidnapping people and holding them hostage in exchange for a ransom payment, abducting dates back to the 17th century in Britain, when children from wealthy families were kidnapped for "ransom while sleeping (nap)". Abducting is a notorious and nefarious practice carried out by criminals with the intent of kidnapping and holding students hostage for a ransom payment. Student kidnapping is a nefarious, villainous, terrible, and seasonal crime that threatens Nigeria's security. Authorities say "bandits," a loose term for kidnappers, armed robbers, cattle rustlers, Fulani herdsmen, and other armed militia operating in the region who are primarily motivated by money, have attacked schools in the north-west.
In the face of widespread insecurity of lives and property, no nation can achieve long-term development. The threat of supranational insecurity posed by organized high-profile crimes perpetrated through transnational syndication and racketeering has always posed a threat to nations' survival. Corruption, terrorism, ritualism, extrajudicial killings, kidnapping, religious and electoral violence are all rampant in Nigeria today. These problems have wreaked havoc on the economy, security, and human lives. Scholars have identified the devastating effects that insecurity issues have on a country's economic development and have called for the fight against insecurity to be bolstered.
Boko Haram's ideology includes a strong opposition to secular education, and the group has gained notoriety for its repeated attacks on schools and universities, as well as teachers, administrators, and students, wreaking havoc on an already fragile educational system. Boko Haram has killed an estimated 2,295 teachers, and the conflict has forced over 19,000 teachers to flee their homes. More than 1,400 schools have been destroyed, damaged, or looted, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), with more than 600,000 children losing access to education (UNICEF, 2017). The targeted attacks on schools by Boko Haram, as well as the kidnapping of schoolchildren, have harmed students' access to education. Many of the students had to put their education on hold after their school was bombed, or had to drop out indefinitely as a result of the attacks. Poverty has become the single biggest impediment to education in North Eastern Nigeria, and the war has made it even more difficult for parents to pay for school expenses. In addition to economic concerns, parents were concerned that their children would not be able to return to school. Many schools were also closed for significant periods due to insecurity, or because the school had been destroyed or seriously damaged during the attacks.
Attacks on schools frequently result in vandalism and outright destruction of school facilities, discouraging the opening of new schools. As a result, government resources are depleted as funds intended for other development projects are diverted to dealing with the fallout from terrorist attacks. Finally, educational attainment in terms of graduate quality and manpower suffers, which has an impact on overall national development goals. Despite the overwhelming need for education, the sector has received limited funding to date, and only a few actors are currently implementing education programs.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Perceived Attitude of Senior Secondary School Students towards Kidnapping in a Local Government Implication for Counselling.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that the abduction of Dapchi is a stark reminder that girls and women in Nigerian schools are still vulnerable to violence. For decades, the north of Nigeria has been marginalized, and this, combined with widespread corruption, deep poverty, and a lack of trust in the government, has undoubtedly fueled the conflict and contributed to its devastating consequences. The emergency has also put additional strain on an already strained and failing educational system. It also highlights Nigerian security forces' ongoing struggle to provide adequate protection for schools in the northeast and prevent female students from being kidnapped. In addition to political leadership failure and other systemic institutional uncertainties/irregularities in Nigeria, a lack of proactive security planning has resulted in a recurrent and diverse set of school-related insecurity issues.
The importance of adequately securing vulnerable school environments cannot be overstated, as no nation grows beyond its level of educational development. The entire educational system, as well as its infrastructure, must be secured. One of the most pressing issues confronting modern states is how to ensure national security in the face of numerous and ever-increasing security threats.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to evaluate the Perceived Attitude of Senior Secondary School Students towards Kidnapping in a Local Government Implication for Counselling. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To examine the factors encouraging kidnapping of Senior Secondary School Students in the area under study;
- To examine the impact of Senior Secondary School Students kidnapping on educational development in the area under study;
- To assess the relationship between education and insecurity problems associated with kidnapping in the area under study;
- To determine the implication of counselling towards Senior Secondary School Students kidnapping; and
- To examine the consequences of abducting Senior Secondary School Students in the area under study.
