A civic group, Coalition for Peace and National Unity (PNU), has condemned the alleged payment of ransom to hostage-takers by the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, saying it was capable of encouraging terrorism in the country.

On Wednesday ,January 5, gunmen invaded residence of a family in Bwari area council, in the Zuma 1 area of Abuja, abducting a father and his six girls with one girls reportedly died in captivity.

The former Minister had made announcement, seeking donation to pay the N60 million ransom via his X social media handle for their rescue.

Pantami had said that a friend of his had offered to pay N50 million ransom to the kidnappers to secure the release of the five remaining sisters,who were abducted in Abuja.

However, the group noted that, “It might appeared a good and humanitarian gesture. For us as group ,it will no doubt further encourage kidnapping business in the country”.

The group In a statement signed by the Secretary General, Dr Abdullahi Musa Ringim, queried Pantami’s silence on heightened insecurity challenges under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“Where was Pantami’s voice when under Former President Buhari half of Katsina State was under attack by bandits , 80 per cent of Zamfara State was occupied by terrorists , Kaduna killings were done almost on daily basis in southern Kaduna with Bandits unleashing terror on innocent citizens in Niger state and at Birnin-Gwari Local Government area of Kaduna State.

“We have repeatedly advised and kicked against payment of ransom to criminals under any guise, because it is counter-productive to fight against banditry.”

While recalling that Nigeria security agencies have also discouraged payment of ransom to kidnappers, the group reminded that, “The Nigerian Senate had in 2022 passed a bill imposing jail terms of at least 15 years for paying a ransom to free someone who has been kidnapped, and made the crime of abduction punishable by death in cases where victims die.

“We also ask what happened to his passion to rescue kidnapped victims, When 279 female students of GGSS, Jangebe were kidnapped during a raid by armed bandits on 26 February 2021; when 11 students of FGC, Yauri were kidnapped, when bandits invaded the school on 17^th June 2021, Several students of Bethel Baptist School Kaduna, Greenfield University ,Kaduna , Students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Kaduna were kidnapped?

As measures to deter other persons from hurried payment of ransom to bandits, the coalition called on security agencies to invite Pantami for investigation for violating the law .

However, the group which urged security agencies to adopt proactive measures to fight against all forms of criminalities across the country, especially banditry and insurgency, said, “Even though there still insecurity challenges, there are relative and significant improvements on security issues, especially in northern Nigeria .

“At this juncture, and from our comparative analysis as well as records obtained by our research unit,we are left with no option than to commend Federal government for efforts taken so far to tackle prolonged security challenges in the country with the last eight months of Tinubu’s administration,” the group stated.

The group advised the president to reaffirm his administration’s commitment to eliminating poverty, terrorism and all forms of criminality nationwide and intensify efforts to implement tangible measures that will alleviate the hardships caused by the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of exchange rates. (Daily Sun)

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