Nigeria’s defense minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has criticized the act of paying ransoms to kidnappers, asserting that crowdfunding exacerbates the issue.
His remarks come in the midst of a ransom deadline for the release of five abducted sisters from Abuja.
The sisters were kidnapped earlier this month, and one of them was tragically killed. A crowdfunding initiative has been initiated to meet the ransom demands.
“We are anxious, everyone is waiting. We just want them back home. All of them [the family] are just praying,” expressed Asiya Adamu, a cousin to the sisters.
However, there has been no communication from the family since the ransom deadline lapsed.
The defense minister emphasized that yielding to kidnappers’ demands through crowdfunding only fuels their greed.
Abubakar stated, “On crowdfunding, 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.”
He revealed that responding to such demands had resulted in an increase in the kidnappers’ ransom demands in this particular case.
Despite the emotional toll, Abubakar advocated for a halt to ransom payments, believing that it would eventually render kidnapping less profitable and lead to a decline in such criminal activities.
Kidnapping has become prevalent in Nigeria, primarily orchestrated by criminal gangs seeking easy financial gains.
The minister noted that the security agencies are intensifying efforts to combat these gangs, especially in the northwest region.
The rise in insecurity has prompted the launch of a special police squad in Abuja to address the kidnapping menace.
Abubakar expressed confidence that ongoing operations would curb the gangs’ movements and eliminate the threat.
Source-BBC
