•FEC meeting
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), today Wednesday, January 17, reacted to reports of some members of the public crowdfunding for ransom payments for kidnap victims.
Minister of Defense, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar said such practices would rather worsen the situation, adding that not responding to ransom demands will eventually make the criminal activity less attractive, reports The Nation.
The warning comes amidst 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.
However, the Minister of Defence, Badaru, said while the government is deeply concerned about the kidnappings, paying ransoms through public donations will exacerbate the problem.
“We all know there’s an existing law against payment of ransom. So, it is very sad for people to go over the internet, radio asking for donations to pay ransom. This will only worsen the situation, it will not help,” Badaru said.
Badaru urged Nigerians to refrain from responding to ransom demands publicly, noting that the government’s position is to starve kidnappers of the profits which drive abductions.
“If we stop, over time the kidnapping will not be profitable and they will stop. It is not easy though but that is the law,” he said.
According to the minister, the recent kidnappings in the suburbs of the FCT are being perpetrated by bandits fleeing military operations in the Northwest and North Central zones.
He assured that security agencies are working round the clock to track down the bandits and prevent further abductions.
He said: “As you are aware, people are saying FCT, FCT, 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 northwest 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.
“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.”
