Security experts have urged the Federal Government to criminalise ransom payments to terrorists, warning that secret negotiations and payouts are fuelling insecurity across Nigeria.
They described the payment of ransom as the “biggest betrayal” in the fight against insurgency, insisting that it emboldens criminal networks and deepens violence nationwide.
The call was made during Boiling Point, a media programme broadcast on six radio stations and powered by the National Association of Seadogs, Ash Montana Deck.
‘Ransom Payments Empower Terrorists’
A retired US Army Major, Yinka Ogunsanya, strongly opposed ransom payments to terrorists, arguing that government-funded payouts directly strengthen insurgent groups.
“Government ransom payment is what is empowering the terrorists and further deepening insecurity. The practice of paying ransom to these criminals is a betrayal of the anti-insurgency war,” he said.
Ogunsanya backed the creation of state police but cautioned against blindly copying the American policing structure. He explained that the US model operates through multiple layers, – state police, county police, rangers and sheriffs working in coordinated synergy.
According to him, Nigeria must develop its own decentralised security framework rooted in grassroots intelligence and community collaboration.
He stressed that local policing offers faster response times, better cultural understanding and improved intelligence gathering.
“Local officers speak the language, know the families and understand the historical grievances of their communities,” he noted.
State Police With Safeguards
Also speaking, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police Leye Oyebade supported the creation of state police but warned that structural reforms must come first.
He identified key concerns, including politicisation, poor intelligence sharing, weak inter-state cooperation and inadequate training.
“The architecture must consider interstate synergy. Without this, suspects can simply flee across state lines,” Oyebade warned.
He also highlighted the impact of evolving technology on crime, stressing that cybercrime and digital offences require specialised training and increased funding.
Monarch Weighs In
Delivering the keynote address titled “Decentralised Security Architecture: Redefining Federal and States Roles in State Policing as Nigeria Battles Escalating Insecurity”, the Olowu of Owu, Oba Prof. Saka Matemilola, said fears about abuse of state police powers, funding gaps and delayed response times must be addressed before implementation.
Security stakeholders agreed that decentralised policing could strengthen Nigeria’s internal security but only if carefully structured to prevent abuse and ensure accountability.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")
