Oddly, the Nigerian Senate is chasing shadows regarding kidnapping, banditry and terrorism, with the amendment to Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2013, which seeks to outlaw the payment of ransom to abductors and terrorists for the release of any person who has been wrongfully confined, imprisoned or kidnapped.
The amendment bill was finally passed on April 27 after the Senate had considered a report of the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. The chairman of the committee, Opeyemi Bamidele (All Progressives Congress (APC), Ekiti Central), said “the overall import of this bill is to discourage the rising spate of kidnapping and abduction for ransom in Nigeria, which is fast spreading across the country.” It would be sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence and then to the president for assent.
So what should the families of kidnap victims do when kidnappers demand ransom? The Senate needs to answer this question. It isn’t enough to prohibit payment of ransom. The bill denies the right of families to try to save the lives of their members when they are unfortunately kidnapped for ransom by paying the kidnappers. It is unjustifiable.
True, not all kidnap cases end in the release of the victims after payment of ransom. Some kidnap victims lose their lives in captivity, despite the payment of ransom. But cases in which the victims are freed after payment of ransom show that it can achieve the desired result, which is freedom for the captives.
If kidnapping for ransom is thriving because the authorities responsible for security and development are underperforming, who is to blame? Ransom payers are not to blame for the evil business, but the structures of power that seem powerless against kidnappers and have failed to improve socio-economic conditions.
According to a study, more than $18 million was paid as ransom to kidnappers in the country from 2011 to 2020, and the greater part of the payment was from 2016 to 2020 when about $11 million was paid. In the local currency, these are huge figures indeed, showing that kidnapping for ransom is thriving.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan sounded like a dreamy joker when he said the bill “by the time signed into an Act by Mr. President, will enhance the efforts of this government in the fight against terrorism, kidnapping, and other associated and related vices.
“This is one piece of legislation that can turn around not only the security situation in Nigeria, but even the economic fortunes of our country.”
Apart from the issue of state incapacity, which encourages ransom payment in kidnap cases, there is the question whether the bill is enforceable. Ultimately, this is an exercise in futility.