The National Counter-Terrorism Centre of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in conjunction with the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), on Wednesday exposed the main source of terrorism financing in Nigeria.
The National Coordinator of the ONSA, Rear Admiral Yaminu Musa (rtd), at the ‘Anti-Kidnap Multi-Agency Fusion Cell Media and Communication Workshop’, organised by ONSA, in collaboration with the British High Commission, revealed that major means of funding terrorists is kidnapping for ransom, noting that this has become rampant in the country.
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Musa had declared: “Kidnapping for ransom is also identified as one of the means of funding terrorism. Thus, carnage unleashed by kidnappers and in affiliation with terrorist groups all over the world leading to loss and disruption of lives and properties is a major concern, hence, the need for collective efforts in advancing measures to check the threat.”
The Director of Media and Publicity of the DSS, Peter Afunanya, also expressed that kidnapping in was fueled by political, economic and ideological factors in the country.
According to Afunanya, “Also, there’s a disorientation in family values. The family, as the most important aspect of society, has broken down. Cultural values have also disappeared.”
The Force Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, added: “Kidnapping has dimensions. A dimension came; it was kidnapping for ransom. Another came, the victims were kidnapped, ransom negotiated, and then the victims were killed.
“Then there is a dimension whereby a victim is kidnapped; his abductors collect ransom, then go ahead to kill the victim and still negotiate before the corpse is released.
“We need to break the conspiracy of silence. We’ll need to talk to our people to expose them. Kidnappers hide amongst our people and have their hideouts in communities. Our law should be strict about this.”