By Sani Idris Abdulrahman
Kaduna, Jan. 3, 2026 (NAN) – In a bold and controversial policy proposal, the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has called on the federal government to take the drastic step of criminalising ransom payments, arguing it is the only way to dismantle the lucrative economic engine fueling the nation’s kidnapping crisis.
The call was made in an open letter dated January 3, 2026, addressed to the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, and the Inspector-General of Police. The letter, signed by NYCN National President Isah Abubakar, frames the issue not just as a security challenge, but as a national economic and existential threat.
Abubakar, writing on behalf of millions of Northern youths he describes as “bearing the brunt of insecurity,” presented a stark economic analysis of the kidnapping industry. He asserted that despite the efforts of security forces, kidnapping remains “profitable” due to a continuous stream of ransom payments from desperate families, individuals, and even corporate entities.
“Ransom payments provide the ‘oxygen of banditry,'” Abubakar emphasised. “Every naira paid is not just a transaction for a life; it is an investment in future terror. It directly enables the purchase of more sophisticated weapons, funds logistics for broader operations, and serves as a recruitment incentive, pulling more idle youth into criminality with the promise of easy wealth.”
This perspective shifts the blame subtly from the kidnappers alone to the economic system that sustains them. The NYCN president stressed that by paying ransoms, citizens and companies are “inadvertently subsidising terrorism and national destruction,” creating a vicious cycle where today’s ransom finances tomorrow’s abduction.
The core of the NYCN’s demand is the urgent “gazetting and publicisation” of existing or new legal frameworks that criminalise the payment of ransoms. Abubakar insisted such laws “must not remain on paper” but be widely disseminated so all Nigerians understand the consequences. He called for “criminal liability against families, corporate organisations, and associations that negotiate or pay ransoms,” arguing that applying the law “without fear or favour is the only way to break the demand-and-supply cycle.”
This proposed legal shift raises profound ethical and practical questions. While acknowledging the “emotional trauma families face,” Abubakar warned that “private ransom payments create a larger public catastrophe.” The policy essentially asks individuals to prioritise the long-term security of the collective over the immediate safety of a loved one—a tremendously difficult societal ask.
To replace the current reliance on financial negotiations, the NYCN proposed a radical overhaul of rescue protocols. Abubakar urged a shift to “intelligence-led rescue operations using drones, signal interceptors, and rapid response teams.” He argued that “advanced technology must replace financial negotiations,” implying that the state must demonstrate a superior capability to locate and rescue victims without capitulating to financial demands.
For the corporate sector, the letter offered an alternative path. Instead of discreetly paying ransoms for abducted staff, companies should “invest in private security partnerships and state-led protection schemes.” This suggests a move towards proactive, systemic security investment rather than reactive, and illegal, payouts.
The NYCN positioned itself as a potential partner in this societal shift, offering to work with the NSA to “sensitise grassroots communities” on the destructive long-term impact of ransom payments. The letter concludes with a historical challenge, stating that “history would judge Nigeria by the courage shown in 2026 to end the marketplace of human misery.”
This proposal places Nigeria at the centre of a global debate on counter-kidnapping strategies. Similar laws exist in jurisdictions like the United Kingdom and parts of the United States, though their effectiveness and human cost are hotly debated. The NYCN’s call forces a national conversation: can the short-term agony of enforcing a no-ransom policy ultimately collapse a criminal industry that has thrived on the nation’s compassion and desperation? The answer will define Nigeria’s security landscape for years to come.
(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
SA/BRM
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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani
