I Discouraged Ransom Payment Until I Was Kidnapped Former DSS Director, Mike Ejiofor

Mike Ejiofor, a former Director of the Department of State Services has recounted how he discouraged payment of ransom until he got Kidnapped

Former Department of State Services (DSS) Director Mike Ejiofor has stated that he used to dissuade families of kidnapped individuals from paying ransom until he too was abducted.

He claimed that while the wave of kidnappings can still be stopped, the lack of funding is the main reason why the insecurity cannot be addressed. In response to the kidnapping and murder of traditional rulers in the states of Ekiti and Kwara by armed groups, Ejiofor made this statement in an interview with Vanguard.

He said, “It (insecurity) is not out of control but people are worried. I am worried. The issue is that we have not deployed sufficient resources to tackle the problem. 

“No one should be blaming the government now because this issue has been festering for a long time. The largest we have in the budget is for the security sub-sector.

“There should be proper oversight to ensure the funds are properly deployed. We have to ensure the monies are not diverted by the leadership of security agencies. They shouldn't live luxurious lifestyles. Before I became a victim, I had often said people shouldn't pay ransom. But that notion changed after I became a victim. He who feels it knows it. Unless you are not involved, you will do everything possible including payment of ransom to release your relative.

“Of course, government will always discourage people from paying ransom. For me, I believe in the saying that he who fights and runs away lives to fight another day. If you secure yourself, if government cannot secure you, that's fine. Another option could have been for the government to supervise the payment of ransom to get information. But victims do not cooperate with police.”

The ex-DSS boss said the economic hardship in the country is pushing people into kidnapping innocent Nigerians for ransom. “They now see it as an industry. Everybody is getting involved because of economic hardship. The economy is partly responsible for the escalation of criminality. People are sVffering. You can't atta+k people's houses and see cash. You can't break into a shop. to collect things because you will be arrested. The quickest way to make money now is through payment of ransom.”