.As Nigerians lose N2.23 trillion to kidnappers in one year
Senior lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has called on citizens who have paid ransom to kidnappers or bandits to take legal action against the Nigerian government and demand a refund.
Citing the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights as well as the Nigerian Constitution, the legal icon maintained that the government bears the responsibility for safeguarding the lives of its citizens.
Speaking at the opening of the Legal Year of the Faculty of Law, University of Abuja, Falana lamented that while the Federal Government takes swift action when high-profile individuals are abducted, it looks the other way when ordinary Nigerians are targeted.
He argued that the state’s failure to curb the rising wave of kidnappings amounts to a breach of its constitutional obligations, stressing that citizens should not be left to negotiate for their own safety.
According to him, demanding a refund through legal channels would not only assert the rights of victims but also compel the government to take its security duties more seriously.
“I have suggested that citizens who are abducted by bandits or kidnappers, and whose family members are compelled to pay ransom to rescue them, as far as I’m concerned, have the right to go to court and say the government must refund the ransom.
“Because it is the duty of the government to protect every life. If that life is threatened or taken, the government must pay for it.
“But there’s also the class dimension. If a judge, minister, or former minister is kidnapped, the government will order security forces to rescue them. But when it comes to ordinary Nigerians, you are at the mercy of the criminals. Your family members will be running from pillar to post to look for money to rescue you. And I’m saying since citizens are equal before the law, you must treat all Nigerians equally,” he said.
Security experts have expressed concern that kidnapping has evolved into a highly organised and profitable criminal enterprise in Nigeria, as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that Nigerians paid a total of N2.23 trillion as ransom over 12 months between May 2023 and April 2024.
The Bureau revealed this in its Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024, estimating kidnapping incidence in the country at over 2.2 million within the same period.
The report said the average amount paid as ransom for kidnapping was N2.7 million per incident.
