Payment of Ransom to Kidnappers By Govt Entrenches Criminality, Says Cleric

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado-Ekiti

Renowned cleric and founder of Grace of Mercy Prayer Mountain Worldwide, Prophet Sam Olu-Alo, has warned that the Nigerian government is inadvertently sustaining a “kidnap economy” through the continued payment of ransom to bandits, saying such practices entrench criminality and undermine state authority.

Speaking in Ido-Ekiti during the 15th annual relief outreach of the Sam Olu-Alo Foundation — where over 3,500 widows received support packages worth more than N16 million — the prophet said the government’s reliance on ransom negotiations has become a dangerous shortcut that worsens insecurity across the country.

According to him, while the Bible provides room for repentance and forgiveness, rewarding violent crimes with financial payments only strengthens the perpetrators and emboldens criminal networks.

“It is very bad for the government to be paying money to bandits to secure the release of victims,” he said. “Turning kidnapping into a business shows the government is incapable of handling the situation. If negotiations continue this way, they will keep at it for years and insecurity will never be resolved.”

Prophet Olu-Alo urged the government to address the underlying causes of banditry—such as joblessness and social deprivation—rather than incentivising violence.

He noted that nations that successfully confront organised crime do so through intelligence-driven strategies and firm law enforcement, not ransom deals.

The cleric spoke at an event that empowered thousands of widows with food stipends and Ankara fabrics, while 50 outstanding students received scholarships.

He explained that the outreach aims to ensure widows “do not regret their existence after the demise of their soulmates. This initiative gives me fulfilment,” he added.