The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has called on security authorities to urgently criminalise and strictly enforce laws against ransom payments as a decisive step toward ending kidnappings across the country.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the call was made in an open letter issued on Saturday in Kaduna by the NYCN National President, Isah Abubakar. The letter was addressed to the National Security Adviser (NSA) and copied to the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, and the Inspector-General of Police. It was dated January 3, 2026.
Abubakar said he wrote on behalf of the NYCN and millions of Northern youths who continue to bear the brunt of insecurity ravaging communities across the region. He acknowledged the efforts of security agencies but noted that kidnapping has remained a lucrative crime due to the continuous payment of ransom by desperate individuals and corporate organisations.
He described ransom payments as the “oxygen of banditry,” stressing that every payment empowers criminal groups to purchase weapons, fund logistics, and recruit more fighters. According to him, the practice sustains the kidnapping industry and prolongs insecurity nationwide.
The NYCN president warned that paying ransom inadvertently subsidises terrorism and contributes to national inility. He therefore demanded the immediate gazetting and wide publicisation of existing legal frameworks that criminalise ransom payments.
Abubakar insisted that such laws must not remain on paper but be made widely known to all Nigerians. He added that applying the law without fear or favour is the only effective way to break the demand-and-supply cycle fueling kidnapping and restore lasting security.
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Interesting proposal, but will criminalizing ransom payments really solve the issue of kidnappings? Lets discuss further!
I dont know about criminalizing ransom payments. What if its the only way to save a life? Tough call.
I think criminalizing ransom payments could escalate violence. People might resort to more extreme measures to secure funds.
I dont know, criminalizing ransom payments might just make kidnappers more desperate and dangerous. What do you all think?
Interesting idea, but will criminalizing ransom payments really end kidnappings? Seems like a complex issue that needs more than just one solution.