I Saw a Man in the Car Boot
By Olusegun Adeniyi In my column of 17 March 2021, ‘Kidnappings Incorporated!’, I argued that abduction for ransom in Nigeria is no longer a crime of desperation but an industry,
On the evening of a recent Wednesday, a reporter witnessed what appeared to be a kidnapping attempt in Nigeria. As the reporter was driving home from work, a saloon car pulled into their line of sight. One boy stood on the open roof while another hung from the side of the vehicle, with three others inside. The car drove erratically, making the reporter suspect they were being pursued.
The reporter decided to follow the vehicle and chased it as far as a police checkpoint, hoping to alert the officers. However, just before reaching the checkpoint, the car made a sharp U-turn and drove away, leaving the reporter dejected. The police at the checkpoint were initially skeptical of the reporter's claim but eventually agreed to investigate.
The reporter did not obtain the car's license plate number and expressed concerns about the police's lack of urgency and resources in responding to such incidents.
Written by urgent.news from This Day's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
