Senior lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has called on Nigerians who have paid ransom to kidnappers to sue the Federal Government and reclaim their money.
Speaking at the opening of the Legal Year at the University of Abuja’s Faculty of Law, Falana said the government has a constitutional duty to protect every citizen, not just the powerful.
“I have suggested that citizens who are abducted by bandits or kidnappers, and whose family members are compelled to pay ransom to rescue them, as far as I’m concerned, have the right to go to court and say the government must refund the ransom.
“Because it is the duty of the government to protect every life. If that life is threatened or taken, the government must pay for it.
“But there’s also the class dimension. If a judge, minister, or former minister is kidnapped, the government will order security forces to rescue them. But when it comes to ordinary Nigerians, you are at the mercy of the criminals. Your family members will be running from pillar to post to look for money to rescue you. And I’m saying since citizens are equal before the law, you must treat all Nigerians equally,” he said.
Falana stressed that pursuing legal action would assert victims’ rights and force the government to take security seriously.
The warning comes as kidnapping in Nigeria becomes a highly organised criminal enterprise.
The National Bureau of Statistics reported that Nigerians paid 2.23 trillion naira in ransom between May 2023 and April 2024, with over 2.2 million incidents recorded and an average ransom of 2.7 million naira per victim.
