I Stopped Asking People Not To Pay Ransom After I Became A Victim – Former DSS Boss, Ejiofor

A former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor, has recounted how he condemned those who pay ransom to kidnappers until he became a victim.

Ejiofor disclosed this during an interview with Vanguard.

He shared his thoughts on the escalation of kidnapping in the country, and also outlined the interim and long-term measures the government can embrace.

The former DSS boss explained that he used to discourage people from paying ransom to kidnappers until he became a victim.

He lamented over the way kidnappers were attacking other regions in the country as opposed to the past where they focused on the North.

Ejiofor asserted that the problem has become an industry and the government must do everything possible to root it out.

According to him,“If they continue to make advance into Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and they get into the metropolis, of course, they would be seen to have embarrassed government. And everyone would say since Abuja is no longer safe, nowhere in Nigeria.

“From the way the attacks are taking place now, it seems nowhere is safe anymore. They were restricted to the North-West and North- Central before, but it is happening everywhere now. We saw what happened in Ekiti, Oyo, Ondo and other places. It has become an industry and must be rooted out.

“Before I became a victim, I had often said people shouldn’t pay ransom. But that notion changed after I became a victim. He who feels it knows it. Unless you are not involved, you will do everything possible including payment of ransom to release your relative.

“Of course, government will always discourage people from paying ransom. For me, I believe in the saying that he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. If you secure yourself, if government cannot secure you, that’s fine.

“Another option could have been for government to supervise the payment of ransom to get information.”