MEDIA COVERAGE OF KIDNAPPINGS IN ABUJAAND ITS IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

Nigeria just like many Countries all over the world has had its Nshare of several security issues and kidnapping has been one of them. Kidnapping like a cankerworm has been eating up and destroying the structure of Nigerian governance and has become a national threat to the well-being of the Country's good governance. The rampant kidnapping and other insecurity challenges have impacted negatively on the Country, discouraging investment, reducing productive activities, and public revenue as well as increasing poverty and unemployment. The state of insecurity in Nigeria has become an alarming occurrence of various anti-social acts prevalent in the Nation which in the past years were unthinkable and could not be associated with the Country. The study aims to explore kidnapping and its implication on Abuja Residence as a case study while looking at the media coverage and solution, the study applied the functionalism theoretical assumptions and employed the qualitative analysis (QDA) based on the previous studies review conducted on kidnappings such as current literature, media reports, and Newspapers to figure out the gap and come up with new findings on the cause of the menace and how the media has contributed its quota in mitigating the problem especially in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The study found out that at some point the government became reluctant to address kidnappings and that has served as a force igniting the heinous crime in the Country. The study discovered that it is due to the negligence of the Nigerian government to address the root – causes of the phenomenon such as youth unemployment, quick money syndrome, hard drug influence, and others. The study also suggests some measures taken by the media in mitigating this menace, such as frequent reportage on the issue, and following up stories associated with the issue, the study also recommends some other measures such as public awareness programs, A synergy approach between the security forces and community police, appropriate sanction, tracking registered sim-card used for crimes, quit ransom payment and job creation.