The Nigerian Police has admonished Nigerians to refrain from paying ransom to kidnappers and other criminals.
The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Olumuyiwa Adejobi, gave the admonition during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics TodayHe said that paying ransom is a criminal offence in Nigeria, adding that ransom payment only emboldens the kidnappers.
Payment of ransom has become a norm in the country as insecurity worsens and abduction increases.
The government continues to treat the protection of lives and properties of the citizens with scant regard.
On Monday, two traditional rulers in Ekiti State were killed by kidnappers along Oke-Ako road in Ikole Local Government Area of the state, but another monarch narrowly escaped from the scene.
Also schoolchildren numbering six, three teachers and a bus driver were kidnapped in Emure Ekiti, Ekiti State, while being conveyed to Eporo-Ekiti.
Adejobi, however, assured Nigerians that the victims would be rescued unhurt.He disclosed that most of the ransom payments are done without the knowledge of the security operatives.
He said, “Paying ransom is criminal in Nigeria. But the problem we have in most cases is that families of abducted individuals don’t carry security operatives along. Kidnappers always work on their psyche. They tell them to not tell security operatives; ‘don’t tell the police; if you do we will kill your relations.’
“We have to understand the dimensions of kidnapping. Kidnappers will take kidnapping as a business. They will kidnap and negotiate and get money. We got to a stage where they kidnapped, collected money and killed the victim.”
