NewStats: 3,264,153 , 8,182,799 topics. Date: Monday, 09 June 2025 at 09:56 PM 4b53m

The Federal Government has warned against public crowdfunding to pay ransoms for kidnapped victims, saying it will only worsen the spate of abductions.

Minister of Defense, Abubakar Badaru, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

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.

LEADERSHIP reports that 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.

However, Badaru said, while the government is deeply concerned about the kidnappings, paying ransoms through public donations will exacerbate the problem.

“We all know there’s an existing law against the 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; it will not help,” Badaru said.

Badaru urged Nigerians to refrain from responding to ransom demands publicly, noting that the government’s position is to starve kidnappers of the profits that drive abductions.

“If we stop, over time the kidnapping will not be profitable, and they will stop. It is not easy, though, but that is the law,” he said.

According to the minister, the recent kidnappings in the suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are being perpetrated by bandits fleeing military operations in the North West 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 the 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 that we need and what the security agencies need to end this thing.”

The minister also said investigations are ongoing to establish the cause of the explosion in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The explosion killed two persons and wounded about 80 others. It also destroyed several buildings, vehicles, and other properties.

Badaru said while the state governor had indicated preliminary findings show the blast may have been caused by explosives owned by illegal miners in the area, the defence ministry is not ruling out other possibilities such as a gas explosion.

“Our team is there trying to find out what is the cause. We have seen that report but the council to be proactive has already set up a committee to look into how the control of explosive law is broken, if indeed there are explosives around the area where this incident happened,” the minister said.

He disclosed that the committee was constituted to scrutinise the existing laws regulating the movement, storage, and handling of explosives across the country.

This, he said, will help identify any loopholes and strengthen enforcement.

Badaru reiterated that Nigeria has strict regulations for explosives that are closely monitored.

“You all know that there’s strict law on the movement, storage, and ownership of explosives, and that is being monitored and if there’s any breakdown, we will find out and deal with it,” he affirmed.

https://leadership.ng/crowdfunding-ransom-will-worsen-kidnapping-defence-minister-warns-nigerians/

Parents are losing their children. If the police had acted fast, none of these death would have occured.

24hrs is enough to track a kidnapper after the first call for ransom.

Dis one’s are not only kidnapping,they are also killing..abi if na ur children dem kidnap,you go let dem kill dem(if only ur children Dey Nigeria)?

This is what happens when you put CLOWNS in power. Where is Shettima who said he'd handle security? Where is Wike? Where are our defense chiefs? All of them are clowns with a big, red nose.

Haa

Crowd funding will worsen things

SalamRushdie:
Don't mind these low IQ Nigerians

Pray make these people no kidnap your person, that's when you'll realise the people with low IQ are your leaders.

SalamRushdie:
Don't mind these low IQ Nigerians

Who are you calling low IQ Nigerians, if it was your family that were kidnapped and you did not have the money to pay and they killed one of them is this what you will say?

Won't you beg for crowd funding to save the rest ?

Instead of you to call out the leaders who have failed to secure the lives of their citizens you are busy insulting the victims....

Lj

If you lived up to your pay check and job description, we won't be desperately paying ransom to those blood thirsty scalawags using our loved ones for target practice.

Bandits have deviced a new method to kidnapping by taking several of a family then senselessly sacrifice one in order to make outrageous demands.

They will definitely meet their Waterloo before the year runs out.

God dem

Failed leaders ruling over a failed state






Am scared of every second living in this goddamn country

... what will not worsen kidnapping is if the security agencies do their fvcking job!!!.

True

Then do something about it. Incompetent people in government

Those kidnappers should be found and eliminated.

Mr defense minister, stop dishing warnings and go after them kidnappers

Pathetic

Buhari will handle skuriti
Osibanjo will handle ekonomi

Tinubu will handle ekonomi
Shettima will handle skuriti

All of them them ended up handing over security to terrorists and bandits

By this time, defence minister is suppose to be warning potential kidnappers while parading the evils ones that he already arrested.
But it is Nigerians he is warning

Finally, I can see that the Nigeria we hoped and dreamt for is gone

oya approve guns 4 everybody naaa... & see wehda bandits/kidnappers no go collect wotowoto under d next 48hrs after gun approval!

We can all be mad 2geda in peace & harmony!

Na professor Fantami ohh!

Smh....in sane climes ....you and your fellow security chiefs suppose don resign


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH4Q3nbDU_8

I agree but if you were doing anything close to Job, we wouldn't be here .


I don't blame you

I blame the clueless druggie in Aso Rock who appoints fellow clueless junkies into sensitive positions.

Then Go inside the fuccking bush and dislodge them kidnappers
If na lekki toll plaza now una go strong nyash 😒

See Wetin minister of defense de talk. Some one that ought to have resigned for being incompetent

SalamRushdie:
Crowd funding will worsen things

you guys should just remain in romance and football section instead of commenting on what you have no ideal about in politics section here.

You don't have solutions and people resolve to find solutions to help their love ones in captivity and you are talking nonsense.

Your mates in other countries would have resigned by now because they have conscience.


Useless idoits in power.

The North is giving the Western mandate thief the Jonathan treatment. We the Old Eastern region will stay out of it.