Nigeria Bans Ransom Payments Following Mass School Abductions

Defense Minister Christopher Musa declared that negotiating with armed criminal groups and paying ransoms is unacceptable, asserting that such payments provide terrorists with the resources to regroup and plan future attacks. Speaking in Abuja, Musa proposed the creation of a unified national database linking security, identity, and banking systems to disrupt kidnapping networks.

This hardline policy follows a surge in violence, including a November attack on St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri, where militants abducted more than 300 students and 12 teachers. Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger State aligned with the federal stance, pledging that his administration would not pay ransoms to avoid encouraging further kidnappings.

In response to the escalating crisis, President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency on November 26. He ordered the recruitment of 50,000 additional police officers to stabilize the country. The deteriorating security situation forced the president to cancel a scheduled visit to South Africa for the G20 Summit.