NSA, DSS, Police, Unveils Source Of Terrorism Funding In Nigeria

The National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), have unveiled means of terrorism funding in the country.

The National Coordinator of the ONSA, Rear Admiral Yaminu Musa (rtd), on Wednesday, disclosed that kidnapping for ransom has become a means for terrorists to fund their activities.

According to him, this means of funding terrorist activities has become rampant, and there was an urgent need to curb the menace, Naija News reports.

Musa, during the ‘Anti-Kidnap Multi-Agency Fusion Cell Media and Communication Workshop’, organised by ONSA in collaboration with the British High Commission, said, “Kidnapping for ransom is also identified as one of the means of funding terrorism. Thus, carnage unleashed by kidnappers and in affiliation with terrorist groups all over the world leading to loss and disruption of lives and properties is a major concern, hence the need for collective efforts in advancing measures to check the threat.” 

Also speaking, the spokesman of the DSS, Peter Afunanya, said kidnapping in the country was fueled by political, economic and ideological factors.

Afunanya stated, “Also, there’s a disorientation in family values. The family, as the most important aspect of society, has broken down. Cultural values have also disappeared.” 

Also, the spokesman of the Nigeria Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said: “Kidnapping has dimensions. A dimension came; it was kidnapping for ransom. Another came, the victims were kidnapped, ransom negotiated, and then the victims were killed.

“Then there is a dimension whereby a victim is kidnapped; his abductors collect ransom, then go ahead to kill the victim and still negotiate before the corpse is released.

“We need to break the conspiracy of silence. We’ll need to talk to our people to expose them. Kidnappers hide amongst our people and have their hideouts in communities. Our law should be strict about this.”