Socio-economic dynamism and the expansion of child kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria

Abstract

Generally, kidnapping of children for ransom is a global menace and Nigeria is not an exception. Measures adopted by the State to combat the scourge have not really been effective. From the compilation of journal articles and corpus of media reports, this article examines the encumbrances within the socio-economic milieu that engender the growth of child kidnapping in Nigeria. Emile Durkheim’s Anomie theory and Robert Merton’s Strain theory of crime was drawn in explaining how systemic failures within the socio-economic structure of the society concomitantly impact in expanding criminalities. The paper concludes that until the socio-economic nuances that concretize the growth and proliferation of this illicit enterprise are addressed, attempts at combating the menace by the State will be counterproductive.