Kidnapping has become one of the most lucrative criminal enterprises in Nigeria today. People now rush to raise ransom money with greater urgency than they visit their banks to secure their savings.
One irrefutable fact remains: every time a ransom is paid to terrorists or bandits, a family may celebrate the return of a loved one, the bandits may smile to the bank, but the nation unknowingly finances its next tragedy.
With every ransom collected, criminal networks become stronger. They are indirectly funded to procure more small arms and sophisticated weapons, recruit new members, and expand their operations.
The difficult question Nigeria must answer is not simply who pays the ransom, but who ultimately bears its cost and consequences.
Ransom Payment At Expense Of Nigerians
The answer is simple: every ransom is paid at the unavoidable expense of every Nigerian.
Are they really depositing the gains of kidnapping in the banks or in their own faults? If in the banks, why can’t they be monitored and apprehended?
All these questions are still begging for answers.
Kidnapping has, therefore, become a thriving enterprise. Every successful negotiation validates the business model of terror, encouraging more abductions, emboldening criminal groups, and deepening the insecurity that continues to plague our communities.
What begins as a desperate effort to save one life often becomes the financial foundation for the next kidnapping, the next attack, and the next grieving family.
This is not to dismiss the anguish of victims’ families. No parent, spouse, or child should ever be judged for doing everything possible to secure the release of a loved one. Their decisions are driven by fear, not greed. As James Hadley Chase aptly observed, “Fear is the key that opens the wallet of the rich.”
Some people even alleged a conspiracy theory between the terrorists and their insider law enforcers who allegedly constantly release a tip off to them on how to escape the wrath of the law. These welters of allegations can’t just be dismissed, but investigated.
In a recent hold-no-barred interview aired on a popular broadcast station, one Samaila Kaigama, who described himself as a Boko Haram negotiator, made a startling claim:
“Now, Boko Haram is on a 40-day break… We did the mediations… I was the one who made all the process… It took me around two to three weeks communicating with them until I got to the top… We had those discussions, and they agreed to make the video, proof of life… Let me make it clear: ransoms were paid in billions,” he declared.
These claims remain unverified and should be subjected to thorough investigation by the appropriate law-enforcement agencies.
Nevertheless, the interview raises troubling questions. If an individual publicly makes such far-reaching assertions about negotiating with a terrorist organisation, it is difficult not to wonder why those claims were not immediately investigated and the speaker questioned by the relevant authorities.
Kaigama further alleged—again without independent confirmation—that, just as Boko Haram has its own negotiators, the government also has negotiators.
If true, such a revelation would expose the depth and complexity of the country’s security challenges. If false, it still demands investigation because of its serious implications. Either way, it suggests that we may be in a hole and still digging deeper.
The greater responsibility, however, rests with the state. The government must ensure that citizens are never forced into the impossible choice between paying criminals and abandoning their loved ones to an uncertain fate.
Negotiating with terrorists or paying ransom may provide temporary relief, but it often creates far more damaging long-term consequences. The money rarely marks the end of the crisis; instead, it becomes the seed capital for another cycle of violence.
The money purchases weapons, finances recruitment, strengthens criminal networks, and reinforces the dangerous belief that kidnapping is a profitable enterprise.
Worse still, some abductees are tragically murdered, even after ransom has been paid, exposing the cruel reality that payment offers no guarantee of safety.
Nigeria must, therefore, resist the temptation to substitute negotiation for a comprehensive security strategy.
Lasting peace will come, not from financing criminals, but from strengthening intelligence gathering, improving security operations, protecting vulnerable communities, securing successful prosecutions, and addressing the socio-economic conditions that allow criminality to flour
Terrorism survives on fear, but it flourishes on funding. Every ransom paid extends its lifespan.
The fight against insecurity is not merely about rescuing hostages; it is about dismantling the economic system that makes hostage-taking profitable. Until Nigeria breaks the economics of kidnapping, terrorism will remain a recurring national nightmare.
The question is no longer who pays the ransom? The real question is whether a nation can ever buy peace from those who profit from violence.
History suggests that it cannot!!!
