Ransom Will Encourage More Criminal Activities — Obi

Former Anambra Governor Peter Obi has described the payment of
ransom to kidnappers as unacceptable, saying it would escalate
crimes.

Obi made this assertion while answering questions from reporters
on the sidelines of a book presentation by Senate Minority Leader,
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe: Made in Aba, A life of coincidences” in
Abuja.

He noted that security is local and urged the Federal Government
to provide jobs for Nigerians to curb criminal activities.

Obi, while responding to a question on the rising spate of
kidnappings across the country and payments of humongous ransom,
said: “Security is local. It starts from the community. Then the
local government and state before the Federal level.

“We can’t have a situation where everything is controlled from
the centre. We need to redesign it. It can’t work with the way it
it right now.

“We need to deal with insecurity, let’s start with the issue of
poverty. Let’s deal with poverty. The more people have access to
sources of livelihood, the more you reduce crime.

“A man who doesn’t know where his next meal will come from will
likely take to crime. Economy is used in fighting crime. You can’t
throw people into poverty and expect them not to go into
crime.”

On payment of ransom to kidnappers, he said: “It is not
acceptable. We need to reward hard work. Instead of doing that, we
should create or support small businesses.

“By paying a ransom, you’re paying people who aren’t productive.
People are making money without being productive.”

On the call to grant amnesty to bandits, Obi said: “Like I said,
people must make money genuinely. It is bad enough that we are
borrowing money to do everything.

“But to also pay people for going into crime is unacceptable. If
you’re going to pay kidnappers and grant them amnesty for
committing a crime, you’re simply asking everyone to take to
crime.”

Former Anambra Governor Peter Obi has described the payment of
ransom to kidnappers as unacceptable, saying it would escalate
crimes.

Obi made this assertion while answering questions from reporters
on the sidelines of a book presentation by Senate Minority Leader,
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe: Made in Aba, A life of coincidences” in
Abuja.

He noted that security is local and urged the Federal Government
to provide jobs for Nigerians to curb criminal activities.

Obi, while responding to a question on the rising spate of
kidnappings across the country and payments of humongous ransom,
said: “Security is local. It starts from the community. Then the
local government and state before the Federal level.

“We can’t have a situation where everything is controlled from
the centre. We need to redesign it. It can’t work with the way it
it right now.

“We need to deal with insecurity, let’s start with the issue of
poverty. Let’s deal with poverty. The more people have access to
sources of livelihood, the more you reduce crime.

“A man who doesn’t know where his next meal will come from will
likely take to crime. Economy is used in fighting crime. You can’t
throw people into poverty and expect them not to go into
crime.”

On payment of ransom to kidnappers, he said: “It is not
acceptable. We need to reward hard work. Instead of doing that, we
should create or support small businesses.

“By paying a ransom, you’re paying people who aren’t productive.
People are making money without being productive.”

On the call to grant amnesty to bandits, Obi said: “Like I said,
people must make money genuinely. It is bad enough that we are
borrowing money to do everything.

“But to also pay people for going into crime is unacceptable. If
you’re going to pay kidnappers and grant them amnesty for
committing a crime, you’re simply asking everyone to take to
crime.”