Pix: Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has stated that the Nigerian security agencies, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have recorded 80 successes against kidnapping this year.
Ribadu stated this at the official inauguration of the Multi-Agency Kidnap Fusion Cell (MAAKFC) on Thursday in Abuja.
The declaration comes amid the report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that Nigerians paid over N2.2 trillion ransom on kidnapped persons in 2024.
According to the report, 2.2million Nigerians were kidnapped while 614,937 were killed in the same year.
However, Ribadu admitted that kidnapping was the most worrisome threat in Nigeria and globally.
He described the commissioning of the MAAKFC as a significant step forward in the nation’s collective fight against one of the gravest security challenges.
He said, “As we all know, kidnapping remains one of the most pressing security threats in Nigeria today. It has caused untold hardship for countless families, disrupted economic activities, and posed a severe threat to our national stability. This menace demands a robust, multi-agency approach, which the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell embodies”.
He charged members of the Cell to leverage their knowledge and expertise to ensure Nigerians are protected and actually feel safe.
“The training and resources you received have prepared you for this critical task, and I expect nothing but professionalism, dedication, and innovation in your work. Embrace synergy, leverage the knowledge you have acquired, and ensure that this Cell fulfills its mission to protect our people and communities,” he added.
The National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Center Office of the National Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), Major General Adamu Laka said the establishment of the Cell followed Security Defence Partnership (SDP) Dialogue signed between the National Security Advisers of Nigeria and the United Kingdom in 2022 in a bid to stem the rising spate of kidnapping in the country.
Laka said that between 2022 and 2024, the United Kingdom, through the National Crime Agency (NCA) has partnered with the office of the NSA to provide capacity-building exercises as well as support to the National Counter-terrorism Center in a bid to set up a kidnap fusion centre.
He added that the output of this partnership led to a multi-agency approach with over 15 law enforcement agencies and stakeholders working together to fight kidnapping in Nigeria.
General Laka further said that the United Kingdom and Nigeria enjoyed a deep and long-standing security and defence relationship, underpinned by shared history, mutual trust and shared Commonwealth principles of democratic governance and respect for international humanitarian and human rights law.
This is in addition to a shared desire to support regional and international peace and security, hence, the inaugural UK-Nigeria SDP Dialogue signed by the National Security Advisors of the two countries between 31st January and 2nd February 2022.
The National Coordinator commended all the law enforcement agencies for working together to build capacity for the fusion cell, as well as the efforts in putting together a Terms of Reference and Standard Operation Procedure to guide the activities of the cell.
He however emphasized that the fusion cell is a 24/7 coordination centre and not an operational outfit which could duplicate efforts.
While giving a background on the Security Defence Partnership, NCA Operations Manager, Chris Grimson thanked the Nigerian government for the partnership and stressed the importance of having solutions tailored to the needs of Nigeria and implemented by Nigerians.
The fusion cell is housed in the National Counter Terrorism Centre in the Office of the National Security Adviser and is supported by the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom.