Nigeria, Dec. 24 -- The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), said point-of-sale (POS) operators are facilitating ransom payments meant for terrorists and other criminal networks.

The National Coordinator of the Centre, Adamu Laka, disclosed this on Tuesday during an end-of-the-year media parley in Abuja.

Mr Laka, a major general in the Nigerian Army, said this amid the resurgence of kidnapping-for-ransom. Terror groups have recently stepped up attacks in northern Nigeria, kidnapping soft targets such as schoolchildren and worshippers.

In November, Nigeria recorded two separate school abductions in Kebbi and Niger states. However, the captives were later released.

Although ...