Examination of the influence of kidnapping on household’s economic security in Nigeria

Abstract

Apart from the traumatic experiences suffered by victims and their loved ones, the physiological impact of kidnapping could, and often result in huge financial losses, loss of employment, and ruptured family structure. It was against this background that this study employed differential opportunity theory to interrogate the influence of kidnapping on household economic security in Nigeria. The study deconstructed households’ economic security into household employment, household income, and household property security. The study adopted a survey research design, and using a multistage sampling procedure, a total of 400 households cum eligible respondents were selected for the study across four designated States of Borno, Kaduna, Rivers, and Lagos. The study used the mean of descriptive analysis and the mean ratings of the various responses, such that the cumulative mean of 3.15 revealed that kidnapping activities have a negative effect on household employment, household income, and household property security in Nigeria. The study recommends that the government should evolve a transparent Social Safety Nets program to provide support to individuals and families affected by kidnapping incidents or insecurity. The government should evolve Safe Corridor for employees to commute to and from work, especially in high-risk areas, and promote kidnap and ransom insurance policies to protect businesses and employees against financial losses associated with kidnapping incidents. Finally, the government should mitigate household property insecurity by investing in security infrastructure of surveillance technology and improved security architecture via community participation.