Ali Ndume, the senator for Borno South, has explicitly denied ever handling a billion naira in cash. The lawmaker addressed the accusation during an interview on Channels Television program Politics Today on Friday.
These allegations originated from Samaila Kaigame, who claims to lead the Borno South Youth Alliance. Kaigame suggested Ndume was involved in ransom payments, a charge the senator, currently the longest-serving member of the Senate, firmly rejects.
Ndume stated that he immediately contacted the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services regarding the matter. He urged the government to investigate these claims thoroughly, noting that the involvement of groups like ISWAP makes this a serious national security issue.
According to the senator, the conflict began when he refused to support paying ransoms to Boko Haram. Ndume maintains that he does not support negotiating with insurgents, which he believes led Kaigame to release inconsistent and false statements about him.
