Falana Urges Kidnap Victims to Sue FG, Demand Refund of Ransom Payments

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has advised victims of kidnapping who paid ransom to demand refunds from the Federal Government through legal action.

Falana, speaking at the opening of the Legal Year of the Faculty of Law, University of Abuja, argued that both the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights place the responsibility of citizens’ safety squarely on the government.

He criticised the government for allegedly responding swiftly only when high-profile individuals are kidnapped, while ordinary citizens are left vulnerable and forced to raise ransom money on their own.

According to him, the state’s failure to adequately tackle rampant kidnapping constitutes a breach of its constitutional duty, making it reasonable for victims to seek refund of ransom payments through the courts.

> “If citizens are abducted and their families are compelled to pay ransom, they have the right to go to court and demand that the government refund the money,” Falana said.
“The government has a duty to protect every life. If that life is threatened and families must pay for safety, then the government has failed. Since all citizens are equal before the law, everyone deserves the same level of protection.”

Falana noted a “class dimension” in government response, stressing that security agencies act swiftly when top government officials are abducted but ordinary Nigerians receive little or no help.

Meanwhile, security analysts have raised alarm over the booming kidnap-for-ransom industry. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigerians paid N2.23 trillion in ransom between May 2023 and April 2024. The NBS Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024 also recorded more than 2.2 million kidnapping incidents within the period, with an average ransom payment of N2.7 million per case.