I’ve Never Seen ₦1 Billion In My Life” — Ndume Speaks On Ransom Allegations

Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South, has denied allegations linking him to the payment or diversion of ransom allegedly meant to secure the release of abducted residents of Ngoshe in Borno State.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Ndume insisted he had never received government funds for ransom payments or negotiated with terrorists on behalf of any government authority.

The former Senate Chief Whip was responding to allegations made by the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, who accused him of being involved in ransom negotiations relating to the abducted Ngoshe residents.

Kaigama, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, alleged that Ndume diverted part of the funds reportedly set aside to secure the victims’ release.

Rejecting the claims, the senator described the allegations as an attempt to blackmail him after he declined requests to provide money for ransom.

“I have said it already that in my life, I have never seen ₦1 billion at once in cash, not to talk of ₦5 billion,” Ndume said.

He maintained that he had never negotiated with terrorist groups or facilitated ransom payments for the release of kidnapped persons.

According to Ndume, his only involvement was informing the relevant security agencies after Kaigama allegedly showed him a video in which Boko Haram/ISWAP demanded ₦5 billion for the release of the captives.

The senator said the gravity of the claim prompted him to immediately notify the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Department of State Services (DSS).

“After Kaigama came to make those claims on television, I immediately spoke with the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Department of State Services (DSS),” he said.

“I told them there was a need to invite him and hear his side of the story so he could present evidence to support all the allegations he had made.”

Ndume stressed that the matter should not be treated as a political dispute, arguing that allegations involving terrorist organizations and billions of naira required a thorough investigation.

“The government should take this matter very seriously because it borders on national security. It’s very dangerous. This has to do with international security because ISWAP and other terrorist organisations are involved,” he stated.

He also challenged Kaigama to provide evidence of the alleged ₦5 billion ransom payment, including details of who authorized it, how it was paid and where the money was transferred.

“₦5 billion is not a small figure. If it was not paid in cash, which account was the money paid into? Who authorized the payment? Was it the state government, as he claims? If so, he should present his evidence to the appropriate authorities and explain exactly what happened,” Ndume added.