•Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, during his visit to the rescued pupils and teachers of The Apostolic Nursery and Primary School, Emure, at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti…on Sunday. Photo: Ekiti State Government House
Despite the Federal Government’s warnings against engaging in crowd-funding for ransoms, the trend persists as abductees and their families seek financial support from relatives, friends, and social media to secure the release of kidnapped victims.
Families of abducted individuals revealed to The PUNCH on Sunday that they chose to disregard the government’s caution due to concerns that failure to pay the ransom might result in harm or even the death of the victims.
In Ekiti State, pupils and teachers from Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure Ekiti, who were kidnapped last week, were released in the early hours of Sunday.
According to parents and relatives of the victims interviewed by The PUNCH, the kidnappers released the hostages after receiving N15 million, along with additional items such as fried rice, malt drinks, energy drinks, and cigarettes.
While confirming that a ransom was indeed paid, the school’s proprietor, Gabriel Adesanya, refrained from disclosing the specific amount paid when questioned by one of our correspondents.
Responding to the surge in abductions across Abuja, Kaduna, Lagos, and numerous other states, the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, issued a warning weeks ago to relatives of kidnapped victims, advising against participating in crowd-funding and paying ransoms to kidnappers.
The minister, addressing the prevalent kidnapping issue, acknowledged the elevated incidence within the Federal Capital Territory area councils during a statement following a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the service chiefs at the Presidential Villa.
Addressing the issue of crowd-funding for ransom payments, Badaru remarked, “We all know that there is an existing law against the payment of ransom.
So, it is very sad for people to go over the internet and radio asking for donations to pay ransom.”
The Nigeria Police Force has also cautioned against crowd-funding for ransom, particularly on social media.
Bright Edafe, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, emphasized the criminality of such practices in a post via his official handle on January 2, urging Nigerians to refrain from making kidnapping a lucrative business.
Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, reiterated that crowd-funding for ransom undermined security and contributed to the increasing incidents of abduction in the country.
In an interview with Channels TV on February 1, Adejobi emphasized that ransom payment was considered a crime in Nigeria, stating, “It got to a stage where somebody did crowd-funding on social media; this will not help us in any way. It is criminal.
It is not allowed. It is condemned. Even the Federal Government condemned it. Crowd-funding is not allowed.”
Nevertheless, families of the abducted individuals defended their actions, asserting that they paid ransoms to ensure the safety of their loved ones.
A victim of kidnapping in Zamfara State, identified as Mohammed Shehu, confirmed that he sought funds through crowd-funding to secure his release. Shehu disclosed to The PUNCH on Sunday that bandits initially demanded a ransom of N20 million, which was later reduced to N10 million.
Shehu, hailing from Magami town in the Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State, explained that despite selling his house and other possessions, he could only gather N5.3 million.
To cover the remaining balance of N4.7 million and secure his freedom, his family and friends contributed.
Recounting his experience, Shehu shared, “When I was kidnapped on the Gusau-Sokoto road and taken to the forest, the bandits’ leader contacted my family, demanding N20 million as ransom. After negotiations, the amount was reduced to N10 million.
“I instructed my family to sell my house and other assets to raise the funds because I was facing punishment from the kidnappers. Despite realizing N5.3 million from the sale of my house and valuables, the bandits insisted on the remaining N4.7 million, threatening to kill me if it was not paid within the stipulated seven-day ultimatum.”
“My family had to resort to pleading with various individuals to gather the funds, and that was how I was eventually freed by the bandits.”
Numerous victims in Katsina shared their experiences, explaining the efforts made by their families to raise the demanded ransoms for their release from kidnappers.
They disclosed that contributions came from various sources, including family members, friends, colleagues, and even high-ranking government officials, all pooling resources to meet the captors’ ransom requirements.
Colleagues join forces
A retired senior official of the National Broadcast Commission, choosing to remain anonymous, recounted how he and his daughter were kidnapped a few months ago.
He revealed that family members, the local traditional ruler, friends, and colleagues collaborated to gather the necessary ransom for their release.
The victims of kidnapping in Delta State similarly detailed how their relatives, friends, and church members mobilized funds to fulfill the ransom demands.
A friend of a kidnap victim in the Bonsaac area of Asaba, the Delta State capital, who prefers to remain anonymous, informed one of our correspondents that he successfully rallied other friends to contribute funds for the victim’s release.
Recalling the incident, he shared, “I was actually at the man’s (victim) shop when I received a call about his kidnapping. I immediately left the shop to ensure his wife remained unaware of the situation. Subsequently, I continued the negotiations with the kidnappers at a barber’s shop.
“After some time, they contacted the man’s wife, and that’s when she became aware of the situation, actively searching for me. I later explained to her that I left their shop due to the news.
“We negotiated with the kidnappers, reducing the demand from N5 million to N1 million. Both friends and relatives contributed to raising the ransom, which I then took to Nkwere-ezunnka in Anambra State before he was eventually released.”
A victim of the Abuja-Kaduna train kidnap in 2022, Wilson, shared that his family members utilized social media to gather the N20 million demanded by his abductors. He disclosed that his mother even sold the family generator to contribute to the funds for his release.
Despite acknowledging the existence of laws against crowd-funding for ransoms, Wilson expressed skepticism about reporting to the police, emphasizing the urgency of securing the safety of loved ones during investigations.
He stressed the difficulty of explaining the illegality of crowd-funding to someone who has lost multiple loved ones and emphasized the desperate measures people might take to save their families.
Abbas Al-Kadriyar, an uncle to the five Al-Kadriyar girls, who were kidnapped, emphasized the widespread involvement of the public in contributing to the ransom for their release.
He underscored the importance of the government prioritizing the security of lives and property to discourage the need for individuals to resort to crowd-funding for ransom.
In Ekiti State, a parent of the kidnapped victims, Adebisi Jegede, confirmed that a ransom was paid, amounting to the N15 million demanded by the kidnappers.
Another individual, who preferred to remain anonymous, revealed that N15 million ransom and various items were handed over to the kidnappers for the release of his wife and son.
In Kwara State, following the assassination of the Olukoro of Koro-Ekiti, Oba Olusegun Aremu-Cole, and the abduction of his widow, the kidnappers demanded N40 million as ransom. While five suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing, efforts are ongoing to negotiate the release of the kidnapped victims.
The chairman of the Transition Implementation Committee in Ekiti LGA, Chief Kehinde Bayode, confirmed the arrest of a suspect in Eruku found with foreign currency.
He also mentioned ongoing negotiations with the kidnappers, with the ransom initially set at N100 million and later reduced to N40 million.
“We are currently engaged in negotiations with the kidnappers. I am en route to Koro to gather the latest information on the ongoing negotiation.
We will provide updates as the situation develops and keep you informed.”
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