Three year old British girl kidnapped in Nigeria.

Poppy · 6th July 2007, 8:08am

I'm not sure if this has already been posted, had a look about and couldn't see another post. Please merge if it has!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/6272676.stm

It's a bit pants, but reports suggest kidnappings in Nigeria don't often lead to the victim being hurt. Lets hope this little girl gets home okay...

nevali · 6th July 2007, 8:53am

Margaret is the third child to be kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Nigeria in the last couple of weeks.

…and that's just in Nigeria.

This selective publicity is really starting to piss me off.

Poppy · 6th July 2007, 9:55am

Yeah it's true enough. But then you've got the dilemna:
Do you report all of the kidnappings etc, or none at all?
Do them all and you're going to triple the volume of news at least :P Do none of them and there'll be no awareness in the public.

Bobzilla · 6th July 2007, 9:58am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poppy

Yeah it's true enough. But then you've got the dilemna:
Do you report all of the kidnappings etc, or none at all?
Do them all and you're going to triple the volume of news at least :P Do none of them and there'll be no awareness in the public.

But alot of the time the thing the kidnappers want is the public awareness of their demands rather than money. If they dont get an audience then the use of kidnapping as a tool should decrease. In theory ...

Zero · 6th July 2007, 10:31am

The story doesn't actually say the girl is British.

Poppy · 6th July 2007, 10:36am

In theory yes, but without the press coverage you'd have a lot less people on the look out for these kids!

Her father is British and her mother Nigerian.

There's been development now, the kidnappers say they'll kill her unless her father takes her place...!

*LesMTS* · 6th July 2007, 10:37am

Good friend of mine works in various African countries. Basically, he helps us steal their oil.
He informs me that the kidnappers almost never harm the hostages and often settle for ransoms that can only be described as comical. A crate of steel-toecapped boots of various sizes, twenty chickens and several pots of paint being my favourite settlement.

Poppy · 6th July 2007, 10:38am

Well, if you needed those things...

Bobzilla · 6th July 2007, 10:38am

How many folk do you know that have read the papers in the UK today are going to be in Nigeria in the next few weeks? Not many I'd assume which really limits the usefulness of plastering ait all over the papers in the UK.

Fair enough with the other child it was in a country far nearer here and one that alot of british folk go to on holiday but Nigeria can lay claim to neither.

Zero · 6th July 2007, 10:44am

Quote:

How many folk do you know that have read the papers in the UK today are going to be in Nigeria in the next few weeks? Not many I'd assume which really limits the usefulness of plastering ait all over the papers in the UK.

None of the stories I've seen have had any 'find-Middie' style hysteria, there's not even a picture the kid. But it is a newsworthy story - kidnappings of UK adults are always prominently reported.

Poppy · 6th July 2007, 10:45am

No, but you can buy British Newspapers all over the world. Press attention could help, and it could do some damage. The struggle is finding a "happy medium" as it were... Still hope she gets found okay though!

TSR · 6th July 2007, 11:05am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poppy

There's been development now, the kidnappers say they'll kill her unless her father takes her place...!

good trade, imo

¡Punk! · 6th July 2007, 11:48am

Black children should only be used in poster campaigns if they are skinny, with bloated bellies and flies around them.

They just aint as cute as blue eyed, blonde girls. That's why it aint such big news.

Dec · 6th July 2007, 2:49pm

Niger, lol.

endless psych · 6th July 2007, 3:16pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobzilla

How many folk do you know that have read the papers in the UK today are going to be in Nigeria in the next few weeks? Not many I'd assume.

A lot of British folk live and work in Nigeria as rouchnecks, oil men and the like. A fairly large amount of these from the North East of Scotland.

I know a fair few folk who will be heading out to Nigeria at some point this year, and one or two who might be there but I'm not really keeping track. Anyhow the point being at this moment in time I know more folk in or heading to Nigeria then are heading to... oh say Portugal for example. They might not be going on holiday but going they are.

That said kidnapping of oil workers or their families is such a frequent occurance its hardly news.