Femi Falana, SAN, a prominent human rights lawyer, has urged Nigerians who have paid ransom to kidnappers to take legal action against the Federal Government and demand reimbursement, arguing that the state has failed in its constitutional responsibility to protect citizens.
Speaking at the opening of the Legal Year at the Faculty of Law, Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, Falana stated that the growing wave of kidnappings across Nigeria represents a violation of the government’s duty to safeguard lives, as enshrined in both the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
He criticised what he called a “class-based response” to abductions, pointing out that authorities often react quickly when influential figures are kidnapped but neglect ordinary citizens, leaving them vulnerable to criminal exploitation. Falana argued that pursuing refunds through the courts could both assert victims’ rights and compel the government to implement more effective security measures.
In related developments, the National Bureau of Statistics reported that Nigerians paid a total of N2.23 trillion in ransom between May 2023 and April 2024. The 2024 Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey estimated over 2.2 million kidnapping cases during the same period, with an average ransom of N2.7 million per victim. Security experts warned that kidnapping has become a lucrative criminal enterprise, calling for urgent, coordinated action from the government.
