Former presidential adviser and current PRP National Chairman, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has revealed that his family paid approximately ₦175 million in ransom to secure the release of his nephew after kidnappers held him captive for weeks despite authorities allegedly receiving information about the gang’s whereabouts.
Baba-Ahmed made the disclosure while reflecting on Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, describing an ordeal that unfolded while he was serving as Special Adviser on Political Matters to Vice President Kashim Shettima. According to him, his nephew and three others were abducted last year only a few kilometers from the nation’s seat of power.
The former presidential aide said the kidnappers initially demanded cash, motorcycles, food supplies, and medical items before negotiations eventually led to multiple ransom payments. He disclosed that the family paid roughly ₦120 million in cash through three separate deliveries, in addition to other items requested by the abductors.
What has sparked widespread reaction, however, is Baba-Ahmed’s claim that the family repeatedly supplied security agencies with information about the kidnappers’ location, yet they didn’t carry out a rescue operation.
According to him, his nephew was eventually released in a severely weakened condition after weeks in captivity. He returned malnourished, injured, and struggling to work, highlighting the harsh realities faced by kidnap victims across the country.
The former adviser also described the kidnappers as operating a sophisticated criminal structure with clear chains of command. He said lower-ranking members handled victims in the camps while “senior” figures collected the bulk of ransom proceeds.
Baba-Ahmed argued that the efficiency and coordination displayed by kidnapping networks raise serious questions about the capacity of security agencies to combat the growing threat.
