The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has issued a stern warning to Nigerians, urging them to desist from paying ransom to terrorists, kidnappers, and criminal gangs.
He said the Nigerian government is intensifying efforts to dismantle criminal networks across the country.
Ribadu made the remarks on Tuesday in Kaduna State while receiving a fresh batch of over 60 kidnap victims, including a deputy director in the civil service and a relative of Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.
The victims, who had been held in captivity for over a month, were reportedly rescued following a series of coordinated military operations in Southern Kaduna.
The NSA, while handing over the victims — 35 males and 29 females, including several children — to the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, stated that ransom payments only embolden criminal elements to commit more atrocities.
“Let me urge our people, families, to stop giving ransom to these criminals. Please stop giving money to these people. The more money you give, the more you compound the problem,” Ribadu stated.
“We have never given any money to any of these people. Giving money to these evil people is counterproductive. The more money you give them, the more they request for more.”
Ribadu attributed the successful rescue mission to the dedication and resilience of the Nigerian Armed Forces, who had sustained pressure on bandit hideouts across the region.
“Daily, we are getting our brothers and sisters rescued from the hands of these evil people. But releasing them is not the end of the matter. We will go after them and they will face the consequences,” Ribadu added.
In his remarks, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Abubakar, commended the coordination efforts led by the NSA and lauded the security agencies for their relentless operations in high-risk areas.
“We have been working day and night, and I know the NSA does not sleep, all in a bid to ensure these security issues are resolved,” he said.
“I want to thank Nigerians for the trust they are showing and for providing information which is assisting these successes. They should continue to have that trust in us, give us support by providing information because information is needed to overcome these evil people.”
