‘I never brokered deals with kidnappers’ — Ndume

Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South has however refuted claims that he acted as a mediator in the negotiations between the kidnappers and the government or private parties, saying he has never been part of any ransom negotiations.

This response came in the wake of claims made by the President of Borno Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, who accused Senator Ndume of being involved in the ransom handling process in relation to the release of kidnapped residents of Ngoshe community, Borno State.

Giving his side of the story to ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, the lawmaker said he played no other role apart from alerting the security agencies following a video message sent by Boko Haram/ISWAP demanding a ransom of N5 billion to free 416 kidnapped residents.

“I have never, directly or indirectly, acted as an intermediary between kidnappers and any government or private individuals. Not at all,” Ndume said.

He explained that after receiving the video, he immediately contacted the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), the military and other security agencies.

“On Eid-el-Kabir, Boko Haram invaded Ngoshe village in my local government and abducted 416 citizens… He contacted me to say that Boko Haram/ISWAP had issued a 72-hour ultimatum to pay a ransom of N5 billion.

“When I saw the video, I asked him, ‘Have you contacted the security agencies?’ I immediately reached out to the NSA, DSS and other relevant security agencies, including the military, and shared his contact with them,” he said.

Ndume said he deliberately stayed away from any discussion on ransom payments.

“He wanted to use me or come through me for the payment of ransom. I told him I didn’t want to be involved… The best I could do was to connect him with the appropriate authorities,” he said.

Reiterating his longstanding opposition to ransom payments and negotiations with terrorists, Ndume said:

“My position on ransom payment ab initio, or even negotiating with Boko Haram, is clear: I don’t support it, I’m not supporting it, and I will never support negotiating with Boko Haram, let alone paying them ransom.”

He urged security agencies to investigate the allegations, saying the matter concerns national security.
“This has become, or should be taken as, a serious national security matter, not a personal one… I spoke with the various security agencies, and they promised they are going to take action,” he said.

Ndume further alleged that Kaigama later solicited money from families of abductees, prompting him to sever communication with him.

“I cut off communication with him when he even asked people to pay money into a certain account, and they didn’t get results. The account details are with me here… He was extorting money because people are desperate,” Ndume alleged.

The senator also dismissed claims that Boko Haram and ISWAP had observed a ceasefire.
“That is a lie because, just last Saturday, Boko Haram attempted to kidnap students of the Polytechnic in Monguno,” he said.

Calling for a full investigation, Ndume said: “Most importantly, I’m waiting for the security agencies to invite both of us and investigate this matter… because this borders not only on defamation but also on national security. It’s a very serious matter.”

He maintained that his focus remains advocating stronger government action to rescue victims and improve security.

“What I have been doing—and will continue to do—is to pressurise the government to intensify efforts to rescue my people and defend them. I’m not involved in, and I don’t support, the payment of ransom,” he added.