abduction of innocent citizens, highlighting further that Nigerian security bodies may have been overwhelmed. In fact one article in the Guardian of July 24, 2010 was very unequivocal in its caption: Kidnapping and the Falling State Status of Nigeria. Governance entails a social contract by which the governed submit certain aspect of their rights to government, in return for government’s provision of security and social welfare. That government agencies campaigns have so far not been able to curb this social menace is evident in the persistence of the crime. This has had Nigerians of all social classes so terrified, creating a sense of insecurity comparable only to terrorist threats and attacks. At the height of this spate of kidnapping in Ekiti State, individuals, families, groups, businesses, worship  centers,  educational  establishments,  governmental  institutions  and,  of  course, the entire society suffered gravely as properties, monetary wealth, and time (from  an economic waste perspective) were wasted.

                       Statement of the Problem:

Since crime is an abnormal human condition, unwanted and most undesired, it requires a paradigm shift on our popular conception of man in an organized society and the chances for a better and peaceful future. The violent crime of kidnapping, currently a global menace, has kept many residents in Ekiti without sleep, as every person (male and female, young and old) seem to command some kidnapping value within the state.

Kidnapping has taken an alarming dimension in  Ekiti State (Jamiu, 2009).  It is said to have sprung up in the Niger Delta when militants, calling for both national and international attention (Nyam, 2010) to the perceived injustices, deprivation and ecological degradation occasioned by oil exploration in the region, took to abduction of  expatriate oil workers.  Soon President Umar Yar’adua, as  part of his Seven Point Agenda, granted presidential pardon to Niger Delta militants. Not long after, Ekiti State turned to a hub of kidnappers. This has raised concerns as to whether this wave of abductions is a reaction to the state’s exclusion from, or rather non-inclusion in, the federal government’s Amnesty Grant; or just  an act of sheer criminality by seemingly jobless youths.

Kidnapping groups are often beyond the reach of the law enforcement agencies. This is evident in the time taken in conducting their violent bargains by requesting a second payment after reaching agreement and the release of a victim. On other occasions, kidnappers have portrayed inefficiency (whether deliberate or not) with regards to their “data base”, as they have abducted some persons over

and over again. The government with little or no political will and a deteriorating moral authority has made several attempts utilising force in its approach to kidnapping diplomacy. Also, through negotiation and Amnesty Grants to youths as a means to its sustainable control, but to no avail. It, therefore, appears that the major issues at the root of the problem have not been addressed. The researcher’s attempt would be to explore Socio-Economic Effects Of Kidnapping In Ekiti State

Purpose of the Study:

The general purpose of this study is to examine Socio-Economic Effects Of Kidnapping In Ekiti State.

Our specific aims are, therefore;

1. To ascertain the causes of kidnapping, without losing sight of its origins.

1. To examine the types and resultant consequences of kidnapping in Ekiti State.
2. To determine the relationship between religion and crime in general.

1. To ascertain the role of the church as a religious organisation in tackling kidnapping as a social problem.
2. To make recommendations that could influence policies, utilizing bricks of religious resource and legitimacy in the amelioration of kidnapping in our society.

             Research Methodology

The methodology used in this study is the historical research method. It utilised both primary and secondary sources of data  collections. Since  kidnapping is an on-going occurrence and contemporary social malady, the primary sources of data collection would be derived through oral interview from respondents, as a reliable medium for understanding individual perception of the subject matter. That the menace of kidnapping in Nigeria, especially in Ekiti State, has excited much media coverage and generated considerable body of literature. The study would therefore, explore relatively recent publications in newspapers and electronic  media, books, journals, articles and unpublished thesis relevant to the study as the secondary sources of data collection. These information or data would be collected, organised and critically analysed.