The senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has dismissed allegations linking him to the payment or diversion of ransom allegedly meant to secure the release of abducted residents of Ngoshe, Borno State.
Naijaonpoint reports that Ndume, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, said he had never received ransom money from the government or negotiated payments with terrorists on behalf of any authority.
The former Senate Chief Whip was reacting to claims by the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, who accused him of involvement in ransom negotiations connected to some residents abducted from Ngoshe.
Kaigama had, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, alleged that Ndume diverted part of the money supposedly earmarked for the release of the abductees.
But the senator rejected the allegation, describing it as an attempt to blackmail him following his refusal to provide money for ransom.
“I have said it already that in my life, I have never seen ₦1 billion at once in cash, not to talk of ₦5 billion,” Ndume said.
Ndume maintained that he had never participated in negotiations with terrorists or facilitated the payment of ransom to secure the release of kidnapped persons.
According to him, his involvement in the matter was limited to drawing the attention of relevant security agencies after Kaigama informed him of a video allegedly released by Boko Haram/ISWAP demanding N5bn for the captives.
He said the seriousness of the allegation prompted him to contact the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services.
Ndume further stated, “After Kaigama came to make those claims on the television, I quickly spoke with the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Department of State Services (DSS) on the matter.
“I told them that there is a need to bring him in and hear him out, as he said he wanted to be heard, so that he will have the opportunity to prove all these allegations.”
Ndume argued that the claims should not be dismissed as a mere political disagreement, insisting that allegations involving terrorist organisations and billions of naira demanded serious investigation.
“The government should take this matter very seriously because it borders on national security. It’s very dangerous. This has to do with international security because ISWAP and all these terrorist organisations are involved,” he said.
The senator also challenged Kaigama to provide evidence showing how the alleged N5bn ransom was paid, who authorised the payment and the destination of the funds.
He questioned whether such an amount could have been transferred without records showing the individuals or institutions involved.
“₦5 billion is not a small figure. If it was not paid in cash, which account was that money paid into? Who was responsible for the payment? Is it the state government, as he is claiming? And if it is so, he (Kaigama) should go and prove to the responsible authorities that this is what happened and why it happened,” Ndume said.
