Nigeria’s federal government on Wednesday warned against crowd funding and payment of ransom to kidnappers by relatives of victims.
Defence Minister, Abubakar Badaru, gave the warning while answering reporters’ questions after the maiden 2024 Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
The warning came amid reports that Nigerians have raised over N50 million through crowdfunding to pay the ransom for the release of the remaining five daughters of Mansoor Al-Kadriya.
Six siblings were abducted from their father’s house in Bwari Council, Abuja, on December 26, 2023, alongside their father.
Although their father was later released to go and raise the ransom, the kidnappers killed one of his daughters, Nabeeha, last Friday for failing to raise the said ransom, leaving five alive.
Commenting on the issue of crowdfunding for the purposes of paying ransom, Badaru said there is existing law that prohibits the payment of ransom to kidnappers
According to him: ‘We all know that there is an existing law against payment of ransom. So, it is very sad for people to go over the internet and radio asking for donations to pay ransom.
“This will only worsen the situation, it will not help the situation at all as you have seen. Initially, they asked for N60 million and now because of this funding and I learnt somebody has raised N50 million already through friends and media, and the kidnappers jacked up the ransom.
“We believe we have to stop as painful as it is, we have to stop responding to requests for ransom. If we stop, overtime the kidnapping will not be profitable and they will stop.
“‘It is not easy though, but that is the law that you are know. So we want to call on the people to manage the kidnapping situation intelligently and very quietly, because talking too much about it most especially raising funds through the public, media is not productive at all and should be discontinued.”
The Minister, who also spoke on the activities of rampaging terrorists and kidnappers wrecking havoc across the country, especially the nation’s capital, Abuja, noted that kidnapping in the FCT was high within the FCT Area Councils.
He said: “We are aware that Mr President called us and all the service chiefs to discuss this issue. So concerted efforts are being made by security agencies to stop it immediately.
“These kidnappings happen around the suburb, around locations that are bothering kaduna and Niger. And this is as a result of the current operations going on in the north west and some parts of north central.
“The bandits are fleeing and they are getting shelters around these areas and the security agencies are working very hard to push them out, block the movement and finish this thing once and for all”.
According to him, “the President has given us the marching order and all the support that we need and what the security agencies need to end this thing”
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
