The Peoples Democratic Party has demanded that the federal government come clean on allegations that it paid millions of dollars in ransom to secure the release of kidnap victims in several states, describing the reports as deeply troubling and a confirmation of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, on Tuesday, February 24, the PDP said credible international and local media reports had confirmed what had long been speculated about government ransom payments to criminal groups operating in Niger, Kebbi, Kwara, and other states.
“These revelations trail the visit and engagement of the United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Jonathan Burke, with top Nigerian security and finance officials in a bid to disrupt illicit financial flows linked to extremist groups,” the statement read.
The party said the reports validated earlier data showing the scale of Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis under the current administration.
“This recent revelation is not only shameful and unfortunate, but also a sad confirmation of the National Bureau of Statistics’ Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey 2024, which declared that ransom payment has reached a staggering trillion-naira economy (₦2.3 trillion paid in ransom between May 2023 and April 2024), and that 2,235,954 people have been kidnapped under the watch of the Bola Tinubu-led APC Federal Government,” the PDP said.
The party argued that ransom payments were counterproductive and only empowered criminal networks.
“It is standard practice globally, that governments do not pay ransom, because such payments are counterproductive. Rather than assuaging criminals, ransom payments fuel their operations and make tackling them even harder,” the statement said.
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The PDP accused the government of hypocrisy, noting that the same administration that enacted laws criminalising ransom payments was now accused of making such payments from public funds.
“It is the height of hypocrisy that a government that enacted the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 which criminalised paying ransom is itself accused of paying millions of dollars in ransom from the public treasury,” it said.
The party highlighted Nigeria’s poor rankings on global security and governance indices under the Tinubu administration, including being rated the 11th most dangerous country to visit, the 147th least peaceful country out of 163 nations, and the 6th most affected country by terrorism globally.
“Unfortunately, it has become obvious that this administration is grossly incapable and incompetent in effectively fighting insecurity and is instead normalising insecurity to the detriment of Nigerians,” the PDP said.
The party called on the government to immediately stop all ransom payments by fully implementing the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022, aggressively track illicit financial flows to criminal organisations, and activate the Multi-Agency Kidnap Fusion Cell established in December 2024 to deliver on its mandate.
“We urge the Federal Government to honestly clear the air on the allegations that a ‘huge ransom, running into millions of dollars,’ has been paid at different times to kidnappers to secure the release of kidnap victims, especially those of St. Mary’s School in Niger State,” the statement said.
“Furthermore, we task the Federal Government to immediately take strategic, not performative steps to sustainably solve the issue of insecurity in the country,” the PDP concluded.