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Public Affairs Analyst, Chibunna Ubawuike, has weighed in on the growing security challenges in Nigeria, calling for stronger legal responses to deter kidnapping and other violent crimes.
Speaking during an interview on TVC News, on Monday, 8 June, 2026, a popular Nigerian television station known for its coverage of national affairs and current events, Ubawuike addressed the rising wave of abductions and insecurity across parts of the country.
During the interview, he referenced what he described as provisions within Islamic legal thought relating to punishment for kidnapping without harm or ransom. He stated: “Even in Islam, Islam has a rule that if someone kidnaps and he did not harm the person and he did not collect ransom and he is caught, the person should be sent on exile.”
Ubawuike’s comments come amid renewed national debate on how best to address kidnapping, banditry, and other violent crimes affecting several regions of Nigeria. In recent years, insecurity has escalated, with many communities experiencing repeated abductions of schoolchildren, travellers, and rural dwellers.
Analysts have continued to call for a combination of stronger enforcement, judicial reforms, and socio-economic interventions aimed at addressing root causes such as poverty, unemployment, and weak governance structures.
He also stressed that punitive measures, whether derived from statutory law or religious jurisprudence, must be carefully interpreted within the framework of Nigeria’s constitutional provisions.
