‘It’ll worsen the situation’ — FG asks Nigerians to stop crowdfunding for release of kidnap victims

The federal government has warned Nigerians against crowdfunding for ransom to secure the release of abducted persons.

Mohammed Badaru, minister of defence, spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at the end of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting.

Crowdfunding is the process of raising funds to finance a project from the public through an online platform.

Following the escalating abductions in the federal capital territory (FCT), Abuja, some social media users have expressed willingness to crowdfund to secure the release of the victims.

On Sunday, Isa Pantami, former minister of communications and digital economy, said a friend of his has contributed N50 million as part of the ransom for the release of the five sisters abducted in Abuja.

On January 5, bandits abducted six sisters and their father in the Bwari area council of the FCT.

The kidnappers killed one of the girls after the family failed to pay a ransom of N60 million.

A family member said the abductors have increased the ransom to N100 million.

Speaking to State House correspondents, Badaru said crowdfunding for ransom purposes is counterproductive and should be immediately stopped.

The minister said paying a ransom does not only emboldens the kidnappers, it worsens the security situation in the country.

“In FCT, these kidnappings happen around the suburbs and around locations that are bordering Kaduna and Niger states. This is as a result of the current operations going on in the north-west and some parts of north-central,” Badaru said.

“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 their movements and finish this thing once and for all.

“The president has given us the marching order and all the support that we need and what the security agencies need to end this thing.

“On crowdfunding, we all know there is an existing law against payment of ransom. 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 as you have seen.

“Initially, they asked for N60 million and now because of this funding and I learnt somebody has raised N50 million already through friends and media — they jacked up the ransom.

“We believe we have to stop it as painful as it is. We have to stop responding to the payment of ransom. 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. So we want to call on the people to manage the kidnapping situation intelligently and very quietly because talking too much about it, most especially raising funds through the public media, is not productive at all and should be discontinued.”