Security agencies in Nigeria have revealled that kidnapping for ransom has become a means for terrorists to fund their activities.
This was the core of the ‘Anti-kidnap multi-agency fusion cell media and communication’ workshop organised by Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission.
National coordinator, National Counter-Terrorism Centre at the ONSA, Rear Admiral Yaminu Musa (rtd), said terrorism is mainly financed through ransom.
“Kidnapping for ransom is also identified as one of the means of funding terrorism. Thus, carnage unleashed by kidnappers and in affiliation with terrorist groups all over the world leading to loss and disruption of lives and properties is a major concern, hence the need for collective efforts in advancing measures to check the threat,” Musa said.
Spokesman of the Department of State Service (DSS), Peter Afunanya, blamed kidnapping on political, economic and ideological factors.
“Also, there’s a disorientation in family values. The family as the most important aspect of society has broken down. Cultural values have also disappeared,” said.
Afunanya said the DSS had established a special unit to tackle kidnapping.
The spokesman of the Nigeria Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said: “Kidnapping has dimensions. A dimension came, it was kidnapping for ransom. Another came, the victims were kidnapped, ransom negotiated and then the victims were killed.
“Then there is a dimension whereby a victim is kidnapped, his abductors collect ransom then go ahead to kill the victim and still negotiate before the corpse is released?
“We need to break the conspiracy of silence. We’ll need to talk to our people to expose them. Kidnappers hide amongst our people and have their hideouts in communities. Our law should be strict about this.”
