APPROACH OFMAQASID ASH-SHARi'AH IN CONTROLLING KIDNAPPING IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Crime is almost part and parcel of all societies, especially in our contemporary times. Kidnapping has become a worrisome menace in Northern Nigeria. The aim of this research is to explore the objectives of Islamic law (Maqasid Ash-SharJ'ah) on crime control and management so as to have a decent environment with minimal commitment to avoidable crimes. The method adopted is through the perusal of related literatures available in the library and online as secondary sources, while Qur'an and Prophetic traditions provide the primary sources. Interviews was also conducted. The findings indicates that the high rate of unemployment among the youth after graduation from colleges, polytechnics and universities is a major cause of this evil act of kidnapping. Factors responsible for the crime are absence of God's consciousness by those that involved in the act, self-enrichment with quick money, inadequate security personnel and injustice from the side of Northern Nigerian governors are also contributing in this regards. The engagement of youth in different skills acquisition, provision of employment by private and public sectors can help in reducing the ungodly act, the paper recommends among others, that justice must be ensured at all levels from federal, state and local governments which can contribute immensely in eliminating crime in Northern Nigeria, to be specific a purposeful sampling method is adopted in the selection of three states from the three geo-political zones in Northern Nigeria. They are: Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba