Kehinde Bamigbetan the Chairman of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, has taken up the mandate given to him by his kidnappers to champion youth empowerment in the country.
The local council boss, who was kidnapped last week ,was released by his abductors over the weekend.
Bamigbetan, who is set to resume work on Tuesday, has become a strong voice for his abductors, whom he said were unemployed graduates.
Bamigbetan had in an interview with journalists described his abductors as “sophisticated” and organised.
The abductors, he revealed, mandated him to champion youth empowerment and job creation for graduates in the country.
He said on Monday: “They told me to say that leaders should provide jobs for graduates.
“That they took to crime due to insensitive leadership.
“I am just telling you the message they gave to me.
“My kidnappers are engineering graduates.
“They are not rookies.
“They spoke good English.
“Not Pidgin English.
“I am happy that the newspapers are reflecting it.
“They will say this man has done the job we asked him to do so that they won’t come to me again.
“Kidnapping, armed robbery lead the pack of crime in the state and we are not in the ember months.
“Why is it happening now?
“It is happening because the economy is grinding to a halt and money in circulation is only in the hands of a few.
“The kidnap was not an isolated case.
“Go to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos and ask him to give you the crime statistics in Lagos in the last three months.
“Kidnapping and armed robbery take the lead.”
Proffering solution to crime among youth, Bamigbetan urged government at all levels to provide job schemes in their communities.
He said: “How many of the graduates have jobs?
“Look at the unemployment gap.
“Where will they eat from now?
“So individuals have instincts.
“Some are more courageous than others.
“Those who have more courage, take to crime and damn the consequences.
“The way out: Provide jobs for graduates.
“Let us create development centres – for example National Youth Service Corps members should be engaged in their states.
“If they engage 1,000, you will find out that the crime rate will come down.
“There is solution to the problem.
“Crime rate can be managed.”
Bamigbetan added that he would convene a security meeting as soon as he resumes work and also appealed to the Federal Government to accord Lagos State additional allocation as a cosmopolitan state to cater for residents.
He said: “We have been saying that there is a need for Lagos State to be given a special status.
“A lot of people in Lagos are not from the state.
“The special baggage Lagos is carrying should be taken care of by the Federal Government.”
