Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, on Tuesday raised the alarm over raging insecurity concerns among Nigerians.
According to him, the level of insecurity in the country has given the elite sleepless nights, including himself.
A statement by Charles Akpan, the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations in the Labour Ministry, quoted Ngige as speaking at a meeting with leaders of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the National Pension Commission (PENCOM).
He, also on the occasion, urged employers of labour to provide decent jobs for workers in the country or face severe consequences, adding that lack of jobs had contributed immensely to the nagging problem of insecurity in the country.
“So, the elite in Nigeria is in danger, including me and all of us.
“Hence, the sooner we start talking to the elite in organisations like yours-IPMAN, the better. So, we can curb this malady and prevent it from escalating.
“When you refer to the nexus between job vulnerability and insecurity, you hit the nail on the head.
“A lot of insecurity problems we have today is caused by unemployment and underemployment,” Ngige summed.
Meanwhile, kidnappers of a retired military officer, Air Vice Marshal Sikiru Smith, are reportedly yet to communicate with his family, amid anxieties.
Smith was abducted in the Ajah area of Lagos, Monday evening.
He is said to be a cousin to former Inspector-General of Police and current Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith.
It was gathered that the retired Airforce officer, who is currently the Chairman of Double Wealth Ventures Limited-a dredging and engineering firm-was supervising work on a site when masked gunmen invaded the place and shot sporadically.
The gunmen were said to have whisked the retired general away in a waiting speedboat and sped away.
According to an SOS voice note shared by his driver, Corporal Odiji, the retired AVM engaged in a struggle with the gunmen before he was subdued.
Odiji stated, “This is an emergency. I am Corporal Odiji attached to Air Vice Marshal Smith. They just abducted him from the site where we were working.
“Some gunmen who were wearing masks just came and snatched my boss now. They shot everywhere. I was near where I was fixing my boss’ vehicle.
“As I was coming, I saw them leaving in a boat but I wasn’t armed so I just ran to the site and I saw his glasses and where he struggled with them. Please pass this information. It is an emergency.”
The spokesmen for the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Adekunle Ajisebutu, confirmed the incident.