THE House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to discontinue the rehabilitation and reintegration of repentant terrorists, kidnappers and bandits into society, amid growing concerns over insecurity and ransom payments.
News Point Nigeria reports that the resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Ademorin Kuye, lawmaker representing Shomolu Federal Constituency of Lagos State, during plenary on Wednesday.
Moving the motion, Kuye urged the Federal Government to dismantle what he described as the ransom-cash economy, strengthen financial intelligence coordination and ensure strict compliance with anti-money laundering regulations.
The lawmaker said reports by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and independent security research organisations indicated that Nigerians paid about N2.23 trillion in ransom between January 2021 and June 2025.
He explained that investigations conducted by the National Counter Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) revealed that point-of-sale (POS) operators and other financial channels were being used to facilitate ransom payments and conceal financial transactions, thereby making recovery efforts and criminal investigations more difficult.
According to Kuye, criminal and terrorist groups continue to exploit both formal and informal financial systems, including bureau de change operators, cryptocurrency platforms, livestock transactions and trade-based money laundering schemes, to disguise proceeds from ransom payments.
He warned that weak financial intelligence coordination and poor enforcement of anti-money laundering laws had worsened security challenges, reduced public confidence and increased the possibility of international sanctions against Nigeria, including continued placement on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.
However, the motion generated debate among lawmakers, with Bamidele Salam, Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, opposing the proposal.
Salam cautioned against criminalising ransom payments, arguing that such a move could be problematic when the government had not adequately guaranteed the protection of lives and property.
Supporting the motion, Yusuf Gagdi, Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, argued that paying ransom to kidnappers and bandits only encourages them to continue their criminal activities.
Gagdi subsequently proposed an amendment urging the Federal Government to stop the rehabilitation and reintegration of terrorists, kidnappers and bandits into communities.
“Anybody who kills deserves to be killed, except in cases such as a motor accident, where the law is clear. But if you invade innocent Nigerians’ homes, kidnap them, take them into the bush, subject them to terrible torture before taking their lives, including those of traditional rulers, you don’t deserve one second of survival,” he said.
The lawmaker alleged that some rehabilitated former insurgents could be providing intelligence to criminal groups, thereby contributing to attacks on security personnel during operations.
His amendment was unanimously adopted after the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, subjected it to a voice vote.
Also speaking during the debate, Ahmadu Jaha, lawmaker representing Damboa/Gwoza/Chibok Federal Constituency of Borno State, said only families who had experienced abduction could fully understand the trauma caused by kidnapping.
Jaha questioned whether lawmakers opposed to ransom payments would maintain the same position if their own relatives became victims of abduction.
The development came a day after the Senate also called on the Federal Government to discontinue the rehabilitation programme for repentant Boko Haram members.
The Federal Government introduced the rehabilitation programme for repentant terrorists in 2016 under the military-led initiative known as Operation Safe Corridor, aimed at rehabilitating and reintegrating defectors from terrorist groups.