Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has denied allegations that he acted as a middleman between kidnappers and the government or private individuals, insisting that he has never participated in ransom negotiations.
Ndume’s response followed allegations by President of the Borno Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, who accused the lawmaker of involvement in the handling of an alleged ransom demand linked to the release of residents abducted from Ngoshe, Borno State.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Ndume said his only involvement was reporting the alleged ransom demand to security authorities after Kaigama contacted him over a video purportedly released by Boko Haram/ISWAP demanding ₦5 billion for the release of 416 abducted residents.
“I have never, directly or indirectly, acted as an intermediary between kidnappers and any government or private individuals. Not at all,” Ndume said.
The senator explained that after receiving the video, he immediately informed relevant security agencies, including the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services and the military.
According to him, the abduction occurred during the Eid-el-Kabir period when Boko Haram insurgents invaded Ngoshe, a community in his local government area, and abducted 416 residents.
He said Kaigama contacted him to report that the insurgents had issued a 72-hour ultimatum demanding ₦5 billion in ransom.
“When I saw the video, I asked him, ‘Have you contacted the security agencies?’ I immediately reached out to the NSA, DSS and other relevant security agencies, including the military, and shared his contact with them,” he said.
Ndume said he deliberately avoided any involvement in discussions over ransom payment, stressing that his position against negotiating with terrorists remained unchanged.
“My position on ransom payment ab initio, or even negotiating with Boko Haram, is clear: I don’t support it, I’m not supporting it, and I will never support negotiating with Boko Haram, let alone paying them ransom,” he said.
The lawmaker urged security agencies to investigate the allegations, describing the matter as a national security issue rather than a personal dispute.
“This has become, or should be taken as, a serious national security matter, not a personal one. I spoke with the various security agencies, and they promised they are going to take action,” he said.
Ndume also alleged that Kaigama later requested money from families of abducted persons, claiming that he ended communication with him after the development.
“I cut off communication with him when he even asked people to pay money into a certain account, and they didn’t get results. The account details are with me here,” he alleged.
The senator further rejected claims that Boko Haram and ISWAP had entered into a ceasefire, citing a reported attempted abduction of students at the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno, in Borno State.
“That is a lie because, just last Saturday, Boko Haram attempted to kidnap students of the Polytechnic in Monguno,” he said.
Ndume called for a full investigation into the allegations, saying both parties should be invited by security agencies to establish the facts.
“Most importantly, I’m waiting for the security agencies to invite both of us and investigate this matter. This borders not only on defamation but also on national security. It’s a very serious matter,” he said.
He maintained that his priority remained pushing for stronger security measures and government action to rescue victims of insurgency.
“What I have been doing—and will continue to do—is to pressurise the government to intensify efforts to rescue my people and defend them. I’m not involved in, and I don’t support, the payment of ransom,” he added.
