Amid killings, banditry, kidnappings, among other security challenges bedeviling most parts of the country, Nigerians, in a rather distressing trend, are now resorting to crowdfunding to secure the freedom of their family members and relatives.
The development has also attracted global attention, with the Economist noting that a ”crowdfunding effort to pay the ransom was even backed by a former minister.”
According to the paper, more than 3,600 people were kidnapped in 2023, the most ever, adding that it rose sharply after President Bola Tinubu took office, with almost 9,000 Nigerians killed in conflict last year.
Many believe that the trend portends a grave danger for the nation’s security, fearing it may become one of the largest sources of terrorism financing in the country.
The development is coming on the heels of rising cases of insecurity in the nation’s capital, Abuja and other volatile states in the country.
DAILY POST reports that kidnap-for-ransom has become a disturbingly booming enterprise over the past few years, resulting in the abduction of locals, either along highways where terrorists hold sway or in the comfort of their homes.
The recent being the reported kidnap of six siblings who were abducted from their father’s house in Bwari Council, Abuja, alongside their father on January 2nd. Their father, Alhaji Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, was later released to enable him to source for ransom.
However, the failure of the family to meet their demand within a deadline issued by the kidnappers led to the killing of Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, the eldest of the six sisters.
In response, Nigerians on social media started a fundraising campaign to raise the ransom.
As a result of the outrage that trailed Nabeehah’s murder, erstwhile Minister of Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, announced the donation of N50 million from his friends.
However, the ex-minister did not give the name of his friend who offered to raise the N50 million ransom demanded by the bandits.
DAILY POST recalls that Pantami supervised an ambitious NIN-SIM policy that sought the linkage of the National Identity Number with SIM cards in order for the authorities to be able to track kidnappers and other criminal elements.
“Alhamdu lil Laah! I am personally not in support of paying ransom to criminals.
“However, since it became clear that we lost our daughter Nabeeha yesterday and the five remaining daughters have been threatened, I spoke with the father on the matter yesterday and today, I spoke with a friend and a brother who offered to pay the remaining 50 million Naira of the 60 million immediately.
“I conveyed the account number of the father of our daughters, Mansoor Al-Kadriyar, to the friend and brother to send the money directly. Any additional amount generated yesterday, the father can use to treat the daughters and other family members, in sha Allah.
CLICK HERE TO COMMENT
Leave a Reply