Government should muster the political will to tackle insecurity – Prof. Obansa
Story from Emmanuel OLOGUN
Professor Suleiman Adavi Joseph Obansa teaches specialised economics at the University of Abuja. Obansa, like many lecturers of the university, resides in the partially walled staff quarters located at the fringes of Giri, in Gwagwalada Area, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
In the early hours of November 2, 2021, unknown gunmen numbering about thirty stormed the staff quarters and whisked away Professor Obansa, his children and about six others made up of lecturers and non-academic staff of the university.
The kidnapped victims were released after three days in captivity with the arrest of the kidnappers’ leader. Obansa is an alumnus of the University of Abuja and the University of Lagos and his research interest includes health economics and quantitative economic analysis.
In this interview with Neptune Prime, conducted by Emmanuel Ologun, Obansa, a professor of economics, who was recently honoured by Joseph Ayo Babalola University for outstanding contributions to the academic world, graciously accepted to give an account of his encounter with the abductors. Excerpts.
Neptune Prime: Sir, we sympathise with you over the trauma you and your colleagues were subjected to by your abductors. Kindly share your experience with us?
Obansa: It all started in the early morning of Tuesday. After we had retired for the night, we started hearing gunshots outside. Such gunshots have become normal to us because bad boys have come into the staff quarters about two times before then. So, we did not take it very seriously and relaxed. Even my laptop and phones were all scattered around the sitting room but we could not sleep as we continued to listen to sounds of gunshots and the noise of the boys operating in the neighbourhood.
NP: So, at what point did they come into your apartment?
Obansa: I think the time they came into our apartment was when they had gone round and our house was the last one. I am saying so because, by the time they brought me out, I saw some of my colleagues who were also abducted outside with them. They first asked me how much money we had at home and I asked my wife and children to bring whatever they had. The entire money they collected from my house was N50, 000 and it appeared to have annoyed them because they asked me why we had only this amount and I replied that it was the only thing available. This was when one of them slapped me so hard in annoyance.
The gunmen were about thirty, if not more. They really overwhelmed the premises and the university security men at the gates. While we were assembled outside, some of the gunmen were still operating in other areas of the estate and shooting at random.
NP: Can you give us an estimation of the distance you covered with the gunmen on foot?
Obansa: We were being moved around and did not stay in one place for too long throughout the three days we were with them. The gunmen were obviously afraid that they may be caught. So, they moved us through the thick bush from the FCT to Niger and Kaduna forests on foot, always under the cover of darkness.
NP: Sir, what will you say about the porousness of the university staff quarters and what advice will you give to the authorities about improving the situation?
Obansa: There are bushes behind the staff quarters and even cattle herders often come in with their cattle to graze here while some of them also have farms around the area. I will advise that the fences should be re-enforced and that better security should be provided for the quarters because we do not feel safe at all. I told you that this is the third attack on the estate in recent times. Policemen should also patrol the place more regularly. We called the police when the gunmen entered but they told us there were no facilities to come to our rescue but later they came after the gunmen had finished their operation and left.
NP: Please tell us about where you and other captives were camped.
Obansa: I was pushed out of the house through the window and I was not allowed to even wear my shoes or proper clothing apart from the sleeping clothes that I had on me. We were taken around in circles across the boundaries of three neighbouring states near Abuja and while this was going on, the gunmen were in negotiation with the authorities, especially on the second and third days. At a point, while we were wandering about in the bush, I realised that I was injured on my leg but the gunmen did not bother about that and continued to push us around.
NP: Were you aware that the gunmen made contact with the university authorities and relations of the victims? Are you aware of whether any money was paid for your rescue and how much was paid out?
Obansa: We were rescued by the police and that we are grateful about but I cannot say whether or not any amount was paid out to the gunmen before the rescue. The university allowed the Police to handle the matter after the gunmen made contact with our spouses.
NP: You were there for three days, were you fed at all throughout those days?
Obansa: Well, they took us on Tuesday at about 2 am. So, that first day, we were not hungry and nobody talked about food. On the second and third days, the gunmen brought Garri in small cellophane bags mixed the Garri with sugar in the same bags and gave all of us to eat. But, in the situation that we found ourselves, nobody was hungry and the gunmen seeing this, advised us to eat in our own best interest.
NP: How would you describe the personal attitude of the gunmen? Were they civil or very hostile to all of you who were in their custody?
Obansa: All of them have personal or individual roles and every situation will be handled by the exact person whose responsibility was to deal with such a situation. Some were hostile and some were calm, especially when negotiations started but only one spoke the English language and we assumed that that person must be their leader from the way he controlled them. This man told us that if we cooperated with them, nothing will happen to us but that if we become stubborn and refuse to cooperate, that they will waste us.
Well, many of them have different roles and each role drew the type of temperament or disposition that suited the situation but what I noticed most was that all of them obeyed one man who appeared to be their leader.
NP: Prof. Would you wish your enemies to be kidnapped in this manner?
Obansa: No. No. I will not wish or pray that my worst enemies should be victims of kidnap because it is a harrowing experience that nobody should pass through in life. Not at all. We even called the Police when we heard the first gunshot but the Police said they do not have the vehicles to come but I learned that they came later after the gunmen had left with us.
NP: Lastly, sir, what advice will you give to the university authority about securing the estate and the Federal Government about improving security in the country?
Obansa: The university should beef up the security in the campuses and the estate. The place is porous in the true sense of it and we have experienced different attacks recently. The bushes around the estate should also be cleared and the internal security improved upon with more Police patrols.
Also, I will advise the Federal Government to muster the political will to tackle this problem once by initiating dialogue with the bandits to know what they want or by declaring them as terrorists so that more force can be used against them wherever they may be.
This can be done by identifying their leaders and inviting them for a meeting to know what they want. Maybe the government does not know that what the bandits are doing now has gradually destroyed the little progress and successes the nation has achieved in the political and economic sectors.
In our case, the police caught their leader and they begged that the leader should be released before they will release us. At a point, the gunmen also started saying they do not want money again but that their leader should be released so that they can release us.
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