The Federal Executive Council (FEC), has 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 will worsen the situation, adding that not responding to ransom demands will eventually make the criminal activity less attractive.
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.
The Ariyo Oladosu family whose Children and wife were also abducted at the same time with their eldest daughter Michelle Ariyo killed have also been doing a crowd funding to raise Money for ransom payment through various means including the father, Folorunsho Ariyo Oladosu’s professional body, the NBA and his Alma Mater’s alumni association of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko
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.
He 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.
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 now and 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.
