Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has described the payment of ransom to kidnappers as a “primitive” approach that encourages the growth of criminal activities in the country.
Falana made the submission while speaking at a public event aired by TVC News on Thursday, June 4, 2026, where he called on the Nigerian government to deploy modern technology and intelligence-driven strategies in tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes.
Reacting to the increasing demand for ransom by criminal groups before releasing abducted persons, the senior lawyer questioned the rationale behind negotiating with criminals through financial payments.
“How can criminals be asking you to pay ransom before you can secure the release of your loved ones?” he queried.
Falana argued that ransom payments provide financial motivation for kidnappers to continue their operations, stressing that the practice only strengthens criminal networks.
“I have asked myself, and I have asked people in government, but they have not given me answers. This is primitive. The more you pay, the more you promote the crime,” he stated.
The legal practitioner maintained that advances in science and technology have made it possible for security agencies to track criminals, locate victims, and carry out rescue operations without relying on ransom payments.
According to him, modern communication and surveillance tools can help identify the location of criminal actors. He cited the use of mobile applications as an example of how technology can reveal the location of individuals.
Falana narrated an incident involving one of his staff members, saying he was able to determine the person’s location through technological means when the staff member gave an inaccurate update about his movement.
The SAN also referred to the 2020 rescue operation involving an American citizen, Philip Walton, who was abducted in Niger State and reportedly taken to a forest area in Sokoto State. He said advanced technology was deployed by foreign security agencies to locate the victim and facilitate his rescue.
He explained that intelligence gathering, drone surveillance, and coordinated military action were used during the operation, demonstrating the effectiveness of technology-driven security responses.
Falana urged the Nigerian government to strengthen collaboration with international partners and acquire the necessary expertise to improve hostage rescue operations and counterterrorism efforts.
He specifically advised that countries with advanced security capabilities should support Nigeria through training and technology transfer.
“Since you claim you now have an arrangement with America, a defence pact, why don’t you ask them to teach our own people who are fighting insurgency, so that the way people are rescued when they are kidnapped, you practise that,” he said.
The human rights advocate concluded by warning against continued dependence on ransom payments, insisting that billions of naira paid to criminal groups only deepen insecurity.
“We cannot continue like this. Paying ransom and later claiming that victims have been released is not a sustainable solution,” Falana warned.
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