Kidnappers Using Ransom To Fund Terrorism — ONSA

The National Counter-Terrorism Centre in the Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA) has identified kidnapping for ransom as one of the means of funding terrorism.

The Coordinator, NCTC-ONSA, Yaminu Musa disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the `Anti-Kidnap Multi-Agency Fusion Cell Media and Communication workshop’.

The event was organised by ONSA in collaboration with the British High Commission.

The retired rear admiral while giving his remarks expressed concerns over the carnage unleashed by kidnappers in affiliation with terrorist groups across the globe that has led to the loss of lives and properties.

He said, “Kidnapping for ransom is also identified as one of the means of funding terrorism. Hence the a need for collective efforts in advancing measures to check the threat.

“Evidently, the menace requires concerted and sustained efforts by every citizen, government at all levels, the international community and the media which of course is the Fourth Estate of the Realm.

“You will agree with me that proceeds of kidnap for ransom enterprise have continued to serve as a platform for financing terrorism not only in Nigeria but across the Sahel’.

Musa said the workshop was pertinent to the overall success of the government’s effort to curtail the menace of kidnapping.

On his part, Leye Jaiyeola, a retired rear admiral and a facilitator at the workshop, stressed the role of the media in amplifying or mitigating the impact of security-related news events.

He noted that the consequences of inaccurate or sensationalist reporting can be detrimental to public trust, exacerbate fear and anxiety, and even hinder counterterrorism efforts.

“Our focus is to make sure that we maintain a strategic national kidnap operation posture, get all the agencies involved in doing it, so that we will be able to put our feet at the right spot and come up with a set of principles so that the commanders will be able to deliver.

“We have looked at coming up with standard operating procedures, looked at developing the doctrine itself and this session of the workshop is the session that involves relating with the public so that they will build trust and confidence in the security,” he said.

Nigeria has struggled with a plethora of non-state actors over the last decade despite interventions by security agencies and the huge investment of weaponry by the Federal government.