Nigeria’s Defence Minister-designate, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has emphasized the need for a comprehensive national database and real-time tracking of ransom payments to combat insecurity. During his Senate screening, Musa highlighted the importance of emulating developed nations by building a unified national data system to support intelligence gathering, law enforcement, and development planning.
He noted that the absence of centralized information allows criminals to move freely, committing crimes in different states without detection. Musa advocated for using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to make offenders digitally and financially traceable, citing examples of countries where offenders’ bank accounts are blocked once a crime is established.
The minister-designate also stressed the need to disrupt kidnappers’ financial operations, suggesting that ransom payments can be tracked using the banking system. He called for stiffer penalties for terrorism and kidnapping, pointing to countries with decisive punishment for suspects.
This development comes as the Senate proposes amendments to strengthen anti-kidnapping laws, including a potential death penalty for kidnappers and those who finance or aid them.
