Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, has denied allegations linking him to ransom payments and negotiations with kidnappers, insisting he has never received ransom money or acted as an intermediary between abductors and the government.
Senator Ali Ndume has dismissed claims that he participated in ransom negotiations or handled funds meant for the release of kidnapped victims, describing the allegations as false and misleading.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the Borno South lawmaker said he has never negotiated with kidnappers or received ransom money on behalf of any individual or government.
‘I’ve Never Seen ₦1 Billion Cash’
Reacting to allegations that he was involved in the handling of ransom payments linked to abducted residents of Ngoshe in Borno State, Ndume said:
“In my life, I have never seen ₦1 billion cash, not to talk of ₦5 billion.”
He maintained that he neither received nor distributed ransom funds at any point.
Explains His Only Involvement
Ndume explained that his only role in the matter was informing security agencies after he was contacted by the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, about a video allegedly released by Boko Haram/ISWAP demanding a ₦5 billion ransom for abducted residents.
According to the senator, he immediately alerted the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), the military and other relevant security agencies instead of engaging directly with the kidnappers.
Rejects Claims of Acting as Intermediary
The lawmaker stressed that he has never acted as an intermediary between kidnappers and either the government or private individuals.
He described reports suggesting otherwise as baseless and urged the public to disregard the allegations.
The allegations emerged after claims that Ndume was involved in negotiations surrounding the release of abducted residents in Borno State.
The Borno State Government has maintained that the victims were freed through security operations and not through the payment of ransom.