REPRESENTATION OF KIDNAPPING AND ITS EFFECTS IN SELECTED YORÙBÁ HOME VIDEO FILMS

Abstract

Kidnapping has emerged as a deeply entrenched social problem in contemporary Nigerian society, intensifying in scale and sophistication due to persistent unemployment, widespread poverty, the pursuit of sudden wealth, and porous national borders. Although Yorùbá literary scholarship has extensively examined social vices such as corruption, ritualism, and moral decline, critical attention to the representation of kidnapping and its effects in Yorùbá home video films remains limited. This study addresses this gap by interrogating both the effects of kidnapping and the mechanisms employed to mitigate these effects within selected Yorùbá video productions. Adopting a descriptive research design, the study purposively selected ten Yorùbá films whose narratives centre on kidnapping and its consequences: Ọmọ́ Àdámọ̀, Ọmọ́ Olè Mẹ́ta, The Kidnap, Ọmọ́ Òkànrán, Lákátábú, Òrìṣà Ifẹ́, Ọmọ́, Òdájú Doctor, Kidnapper, and Kidnapped. These films were subjected to literary and content analysis, guided by Routine Activity Theory as the theoretical framework. Findings indicate that kidnapping poses a significant threat to national development and social harmony. The films not only expose its adverse effects but also foreground preventive and corrective responses, including improved healthcare for victims, the creation of a conducive socio-economic environment, and compensation for victims’ families. The study further advocates the strengthening of community-based security structures, particularly vigilante groups, to complement formal policing systems. It concludes that Yorùbá home video films, when strategically utilized as instruments of social advocacy and reorientation, can contribute meaningfully to anti-kidnapping efforts. Furthermore, the study calls on the Nigerian government to reassess and strengthen existing strategies to address the growing menace more effectively.