By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
Reasons have been advanced why terrorism and insecurity have become somewhat lucrative and taking more dangerous and alarming dimension in Nigeria.
A Twitter user, @truthfully83, has taken to his handle to narrate his experience during one of his trips to rescue a kidnapped victim in the Northwest forest.
The investigative journalist, private investigator and whistleblower, according to his profile, alleged that kidnapping “is a well-coordinated racket by banks around the Northwest, at the moment.”
Read the tweet:
“On my last rescue mission to the Northwest, between Kaduna & Katsina state, to free a kidnap victim, I saw some vehicles coming into the forest to carry huge amount of cash with well dressed persons accompanying them.
“They even open accounts in the forest for some bandits. They pretended to have come for ransom payment for their kidnap victim. But that was not the case.
“They actually came into the forest to take those ransom already paid to bandits, for safe keeping. They were from the banks. But I don’t know the exact bank.
“They came with 2 vehicles, and the vehicles were fully stuffed with Ghana-must-go bags, from the point where they were parked.
“As they proceeded to leave the forest, they were heavily guarded by bandits on motorbikes, from the forest until they got to the highway. It was in Kankara.
“From my findings, it is a well-coordinated racket by banks around the Northwest, at the moment.
“It is a private arrangement between some banks and bandits. Using middlemen, in both ends.
“With some bank officials to block their tracks. The inflow is in hundreds of millions.
“The bank keeps their private security Escorts some distance away from where they are heading to collect the ransom.
“After collecting the money, they return to the location to pick their excorts to accompany them back to town, and to their base.
“They settle soldiers on the way.”
@truthfully83 called on the antigraft agencies to synergise with financial agencies to track the activities of the racketeers.
“@cenbank & @officialEFCC must monitor cash inflow into banks to stem the tide of terrorists, & bandits ransom taking. Which is now in hundreds of millions.
“If they doubt this claim, they can secretly number cash, and send it as ransom.
Then check the bank where it will land,” @truthfully83 suggested.
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