Opposition Parties Criticize FG Over ₦2.23tn Ransom Payment Report, APC Disputes Findings

Opposition parties in Nigeria have strongly criticized the Federal Government following a recent report indicating that a staggering ₦2.23 trillion was paid as ransom to kidnappers between 2011 and 2022. However, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has disputed the report’s findings.

The report, titled “The Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry,” was released by SBM Intelligence, a research organization. It revealed that the average ransom paid by families of kidnap victims surged from ₦11 million in 2016 to ₦13.9 million in 2020, with a total of ₦653.7 million reportedly paid as ransom between January 2022 and March 2022 alone.

In response to the report, opposition parties have accused the Federal Government of failing to address the nation’s security challenges effectively. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) have both called for urgent action to curb the rising incidence of kidnapping and the payment of ransoms.

PDP spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, stated that the report highlights the government’s incompetence in tackling insecurity. He urged the government to take decisive steps to protect citizens and bring perpetrators to justice.

Similarly, the LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, criticized the government for its apparent lack of political will to confront the issue head-on. He called for a comprehensive review of the nation’s security architecture to address the problem effectively.

However, the APC has dismissed the report’s findings, questioning its credibility and the methodology employed. APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, stated that the party would need to scrutinize the report thoroughly before making any substantive comments on its contents.