Stop crowdfunding for kidnapper’s – Nigerian Minister
Nigeria’s federal government issued a stern warning on Wednesday, cautioning against the practice of crowdfunding and making ransom payments to kidnappers on behalf of victims’ relatives.
Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru conveyed this message during a press conference following the inaugural 2024 Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
The advisory follows reports indicating that Nigerians had raised over N50 million through crowdfunding to secure the release of the remaining five daughters of Mansoor Al-Kadriya, who were abducted alongside their father from their home in Bwari Council, Abuja, on December 26, 2023.
Tragically, one of Al-Kadriya’s daughters, Nabeeha, was killed by the kidnappers last Friday after failing to raise the demanded ransom, while the father was released to gather funds.
Minister Badaru emphasized the existence of laws prohibiting ransom payments and expressed concern over public appeals for donations to fund such payments.”We all know that there is an existing law against payment of ransom,” stated Badaru, “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.”Acknowledging the difficulty in implementing such measures, Badaru stressed the necessity of adhering to the law, asserting that discontinuing ransom responses would eventually render kidnapping less profitable, leading to a decline in such criminal activities.
Addressing the broader issue of security challenges, particularly rampant terrorism and kidnappings across the country, the Minister highlighted the efforts being made by security agencies to counteract these threats. He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had convened a meeting with service chiefs to discuss the matter and emphasized that concerted actions were underway to curb these criminal activities.
Kidnappings were noted to be particularly high within the FCT Area Councils, with Badaru linking the surge to the ongoing military operations in the northwest and parts of the north central region. He affirmed the President’s commitment to providing the necessary support and resources to end these security challenges.Credit: Arise Tv News