ANTI–RANSOM LEGISLATION AND KIDNAPPING IN NIGERIA, 2015–2026: ASSESSING LEGISLATIVE EFFECTIVENESS, ENFORCEMENT CAPACITY AND THE RANSOM ECONOMY

This study examined anti ransom legislation and kidnapping in Nigeria, 2015 2026: Assessing Legislative Effectiveness, Enforcement Capacity and the Ransom Economy. Specifically, the study assessed the nature and effectiveness of anti ransom legislation in addressing kidnapping in Nigeria; examined the capacity of law enforcement and judicial institutions to implement relevant legal provisions; assessed the influence of institutional mechanisms and inter-agency coordination on enforcement; and examined the role of the ransom economy in sustaining kidnapping activities. The study adopted a historical research design and relied on secondary data obtained from legislation, government publications, institutional reports, judicial documents, policy materials and relevant academic literature covering the study period. The study concluded that the existence of anti-ransom legislation had not, by itself, eliminated kidnapping because deterrence depended on the credibility of legal sanctions, institutional enforcement, criminal decision-making and the financial incentives generated by ransom. It further established that organised criminal networks, institutional capacity and the economic structure of ransom transactions practical shaped effectiveness legislative study measures. the of The recommended that government should strengthen anti-ransom legislation, enhance investigative and judicial capacity, improve inter-agency coordination, and strengthen financial intelligence mechanisms for tracing ransom payments and criminal proceeds.