National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has urged Nigerians to stop paying ransom to kidnappers, insisting that such payments only embolden criminals and do not guarantee the safe release of abducted persons.
Ribadu made this appeal on Tuesday in Abuja while handing over 60 rescued kidnap victims to their families.
The victims, comprising 35 males and 25 females, were abducted from communities in Kaduna State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), including Lere, Zangon Kataf, and Kagarko LGAs.
“Once again, we are here to do what we have done a couple of times already — that is, to hand over rescued victims of kidnap and banditry to their families,” Ribadu said during the emotional handover ceremony.
“Evil people turned their lives upside down. Many of them have been with their abductors for a couple of months, but we thank God they are back safely.”
He noted that the rescue of the victims without ransom was proof that Nigeria’s security forces are capable of reclaiming kidnapped citizens without conceding to criminal demands.
“I want to once again use this opportunity to thank our armed forces, our security forces, and indeed, the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, who is working daily to restore order, security, and stability,” Ribadu said.
“Daily, we are getting freedom back to our people. We will continue to do so. We will not relent, and we will not stop.”
However, the NSA expressed concern that many families are still paying ransoms despite such efforts.
“The families of many of these people gave money to the kidnappers, but it did not lead to their release,” he said. “It is we, the security forces, who rescued them. I understand the desperation, but paying ransom is counterproductive. It only encourages the cycle of criminality.”
Ribadu also stressed that the security agencies are not stopping at rescues. He affirmed that efforts are ongoing to track, arrest, and prosecute those behind the abductions.
Adamu Laka, the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), confirmed that the victims were rescued by troops of the 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, with the support of other intelligence and security agencies.
Among those rescued were Adesanya Michael, a deputy director at the National Assembly Commission who was kidnapped from Kubwa, Abuja, and Ishaya Kuka, a relative of Bishop Matthew Kukah.
