Security experts and stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to criminalise ransom payments to terrorists, describing it as the biggest betrayal in the war against insurgency in Nigeria. Experts who condemned the menace, especially when the government secretly paid terrorists’ ransom, said that such practice only further encouraged and deepened insecurity in the country. Ogunsanya, who supported the creation of state police in Nigeria, cautioned the FG against blindly adopting the American state policing system, citing the complexity of crimes and societal differences. He said, “Government ransom payment is what is empowering the terrorists and further deepening insecurity. DIG Oyebade traced the challenges of the Nigerian policing system to a faulty foundation, tribalism, inadequate manpower and training, and the dynamism of crime in the face of evolving technology.

Source: The Guardian February 10, 2026 15:15 UTC