Security experts and stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to criminalise ransom payments to terrorists, describing the practice as a major setback in Nigeria’s fight against insurgency.
Gatekeepers News reports that the experts condemned what they described as the government’s secret payment of ransoms, warning that such actions only embolden terrorist groups and worsen insecurity across the country.
They also urged the Federal Government to establish state police as part of a broader reform of the nation’s security architecture, stressing that proper structures and safeguards must first be put in place.
The calls were made during a discussion on Boiling Point, a popular media platform broadcast on six radio stations and powered by the National Association of Seadogs, Ash Montana Deck.
‘Ransom Payments Empower Terrorists’
A US Army veteran and retired Major, Yinka Ogunsanya, strongly opposed ransom payments, saying the practice directly fuels terrorism.
“Government ransom payment is what is empowering the terrorists and further deepening insecurity. The practice of paying ransom to these criminals is a betrayal of the anti-insurgency war,” he said.
Ogunsanya, who supports the creation of state police, cautioned the Federal Government against simply copying the American model, noting that the United States operates a complex, multi-layered system.
“The system comprises state police, county police, rangers, and sheriffs, which work together in synergy to achieve their goals,” he explained.
He urged federal and state authorities to engage communities to develop a locally driven model based on grassroots intelligence.
“Nigeria must adopt the global standard for intelligence-led, localised operations while maintaining federal oversight of cross-border crimes. One of the primary ‘pros’ of local police is proximity,” he said.
“State policing allows for quicker response times to distress calls, as the chain of command is localised and less hindered by the bureaucratic bottlenecks of the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
“Local officers speak the language, know the families, and understand the historical grievances of their communities. This creates a ‘home-court advantage’ in intelligence gathering that a centrally deployed officer from a distant region simply cannot match,” he added.
‘System Built on a Faulty Foundation’
Another speaker, a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Leye Oyebade, also backed state police but listed key issues that must be addressed, including community participation, patriotism, intelligence sharing, and public trust.
Oyebade traced the challenges of Nigeria’s policing system to a “faulty foundation,” tribalism, inadequate manpower and training, and the fast-evolving nature of crime driven by technology.
He acknowledged concerns about possible politicisation of state police, warning that the system could be abused for persecution if “a state falls into the wrong hands.”
“The architecture to be put in place must consider interstate synergy and sharing of roles. The prevalence of crime types varies from one state to another. Without this synergy, a suspect can run from one state to hide in another,” he said.
He added that advances in digital technology have created new crimes that were not previously captured by law.
“When we didn’t have digital technology and mobile phones, cybercrimes were not in our laws. With the evolution of technology, the demand for training officers and men is not only imperative but calls for very high funding of policing,” he said.
Traditional Ruler Highlights Key Concerns
Delivering the keynote address titled “Decentralised Security Architecture: Redefining Federal and States Roles in State Policing as Nigeria Battles Escalating Insecurity,” the Olowu of Owu, Oba Prof. Saka Matemilola, said critical issues such as slow response times, manpower shortages, funding, and fears of political abuse by governors were extensively discussed.
