Risky to raise funds for kidnap victims’ ransom – Badaru

Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, has stated that the practice of individuals initiating and raising finances for the release of kidnapped victims in captives of armeds men is unsustainable.

Speaking with journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, Badaru cited the Nigeria’s Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2013 that stipulates that families and friends of kidnap victims face up to 15 years imprisonment for paying to free loved ones.

“It is not easy though but that is the law that you know,” the minister said.

Badaru expressed sadness about the current incidents and stated that the situation of seeking donations to pay ransom on the internet and radio stations will only worsen the situation.

He said, “it will not help the situation at all as you have seen. Initially, they asked for N60 million and now because of this funding I learnt somebody has raised N50 million already through friends and media, they jacked up the ransom.

“We believe we have to stop as painful as it is, we have to stop responding to payment on ransom. If we stop, over time the kidnapping will not be profitable and they will stop.

“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

Over the past several days, there has been a rise in kidnappings for ransom in some sections of the country, particularly in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Armed people stormed into a suburb in the Bwari local council of Abuja on January 5 and took many hostages, including a household with six sisters.

One of the six sisters, Nabeeha, was murdered on Sunday by the abductors, who claimed to have done so as a warning to the family for failing to pay the N60 million ransom.

WesternPost reported that President Bola Tinubu met with service chiefs in the country on Tuesday at the Aso Villa.

Speaking on the case of kidnapping in FCT, Badaru stated that, “We are aware Mr President called us and all the service chiefs to discuss this issue. So concerted efforts are being made by security to stop it immediately.

“As you are aware, people are saying FCT, FCT, these kidnappings happen around the suburb, around now and 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.

“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.