Human rights lawyer Kemi Falana, SAN, has told Nigerians who paid ransoms to kidnappers to take the federal government to court and demand their money back. He says the government has failed in its duty to protect citizens as required by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Falana made these comments during the opening of the Legal Year event at the Faculty of Law, Yakubu Gowon University, in Abuja.
He pointed out that the increasing number of kidnappings across the country shows that the government is not fulfilling its responsibility to ensure safety, as outlined in the country’s constitution and international rights agreements.
He criticized what he called a “class-based response” to kidnappings.
He said that authorities act quickly when high-profile people are taken hostage, but ordinary citizens are left vulnerable to criminals.
Falana argued that going to court to get a refund would not only help victims reclaim their money but also push the government to improve security measures across the country.
At the same time, new data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that Nigerians paid a total of N2.23 trillion in ransoms between May 2023 and April 2024.
The Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024 estimated over 2.2 million kidnapping incidents during this time, with an average ransom of N2.7 million per victim.
Security experts have warned that kidnapping has become a major criminal business, and they are calling for immediate and coordinated action from the government to address the problem.
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