Nigerians Fire Minister Over N50m Ransom For Kidnappers

Nigerians are heavily aggrieved over a minister’s mobilisation of N50 million naira ransom for kidnappers.  

On target is the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, who mobilized friends to contribute the N50 million

It was to secure the release of five remaining victims of a recent kidnap incident of the Mansoor Al-Kadriyar sisters in Abuja.

Pantami announced on Sunday via X account that an undisclosed friend volunteered to raise N50 million, following the murder of Nabeeha by bandits.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: What Kidnappers Did To Another Young Girl Abducted in Abuja

Though the minister may have meant well, by the gesture but Nigerians reacting to the matter feel otherwise, according to a report by Vanguard.

The newspaper mentions on Netizens on X calling out Pantami for saying the National Identification Number (NIN) of Nigerians linked with the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) would be used to track the killers..

The minister’s post that triggered the backlash reads as follows:

“Alhamdu lil Laah! I am personally not in support of paying ransom to criminals. However, since it becomes clear, we lost our daughter Nabeeha yesterday, and the five remaining daughters have been threatened, as I spoke with the father on the matter yesterday and today.

“Furthermore, I spoke with a friend and a brother who offered to pay the remaining 50 million Naira of the N60m immediately,” Pantami wrote.

READ ALSO: How Kidnappers Murdered Secondary School Student Abducted Along With Her Mother, 3 Siblings

Then followed a number of reactions, some of which the platform had reproduced as follows:

@FS_Yusuf_ wrote, “So Pantami is coming to tell us that his friend paid 50M to rescue the kidnapped sisters. So why didn’t they track their kidnappers from the NIN he propagandized during the useless Buhari administration or the BVN of their account number?

“This is how these propagandists and sweet talkers were deceiving Nigerians (especially the north) while terrorists were spreading around the country.”

@firstladyship affirmed, “We’ve established certain truths: Protest is Haram, Muslim Muslim ticket was a scam, No Nigerian is immune to insecurity, Pantami’s NIN was a failed project, Buhari did not tackle the insecurity, Osinbajo did not tackle the Economy, Tinubu is not tackling the Economy, Shettima is not tackling the insecurity and the APC abuse the NW, NC, NE, & SW.”

“It’s a shame that the former Minister of Communications, Prof. Ali Pantami, who threatened us with NIN, was the first person to mobilise N50million ransom for Kidnappers. Now they have raise the ransom To N700 Million after killing 2 more victims,” @hotline_topic posted.

@DemolaRewaju noted, “Normally, Pantami should be invited for questioning for jeopardising national security and safety of lives with that reckless and thoughtless public statement about ransom donation; but the sad reality is that Bola Tinubu is clueless and careless.”

READ ALSO: Peter Obi Reacts To Killing of Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar

The issue of rising insecurity in the country, has gripped a lot of Nigerians, even with a government in place.

Many who have reacted are disturbed that hoodlums, kidnappers and robbers carry out their activities with ease, and then retreat to enjoy their loot and revel in their destruction, with being apprehended promptly.

Ransom for kidnappers has become a common occurrence in the country, worse situation being victims still losing their lives after paying such ransom.