Tinubu Vows Not To Pay Ransom To Kidnappers Of Kaduna Students, Others

Tinubu vows not to pay ransom to kidnappers of Kaduna students, others

By Aisha Musa

President Bola Tinubu has vowed not to pay ransom to kidnappers of scores of students and other people in parts of Nigeria, an official has said.

Information Minister Mohammed Idris, who stated this in Abuja while addressing journalists on Wednesday, said the president also directed security agencies to ensure the release of all kidnapped victims without the payment of ransom.

“Mr President has also directed that no ransom will be paid by government to any of these criminal elements. I think it’s important that this be put out there,” the minister said.

The minister’s comments followed the mass kidnappings that have occurred in some states in Nigeria.

In Kaduna, north-west Nigeria, 280 students were kidnapped last week by yet-to-be-identified bandits. The Kaduna kidnap occurred a few days after about 400 people were kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno.

“Mr. President reiterated his directive to security agencies and the Ministry of Defense to ensure that those our kids that have been abducted by these criminal gangs are brought back to their homes safely,” the minister added.

Mr Idris assured that all the abducted persons in Borno and Kaduna will be brought back safely “pretty soon,” saying the security agencies are working round the clock to ensure that they are rescued.

“The security agencies are working hard in that direction. And Mr. President has also directed that no ransom will be paid by government to any of these criminal elements. I think it’s important that this be put out there,” he said.

He also said the government is closely watching the rise in cases of kidnappings even as the security agencies are taking proactive steps to ensure that the trend is halted.

He said: “You know, we are seeing some kind of movement and the more security agencies are also hitting these targets, the more these criminals are pushed to also getting some soft targets. But the government is not making any excuses.”

Foreign support

The minister also said some countries including the United States (US) have offered helping hands to Nigeria to rescue the abducted but no agreement has been finalised.

“Well, we’re aware that it is not just the US that has actually offered (help). Other countries have also offered to support Nigeria. But what we can tell you is that the government is still reviewing these offers and the position of government will be made known to you,” he said.

Abduction of students

Thousands of students and teachers have been abducted in several attacks in Nigeria since the first case was recorded in 2014 when Boko Haram terrorists kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok.

The situation is particularly prevalent in the troubled North-East where Boko Haram terrorists are active and the North West where banditry is rife.

In 2018, Boko Haram terrorists kidnapped 110 schoolgirls from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State.

In the North West, terrorists have also staged mass kidnappings in Kankara, Katsina State, where more than 300 school boys were kidnapped in 2020.

In 2021, terrorists also stormed Government Science School, Kagara, Niger State, and abducted scores of students.

Similar abductions have also occurred in Government Girls Secondary School Kangebe, Zamfara State, and Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State, in 2021.

The terrorists, however, appear to have been emboldened as Nigeria now witnesses more attacks on tertiary institutions.

In September 2022, 22 students of the Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State, living in private hostels around the school, were abducted.

Students of the Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina, and Nasarawa State University, Keffi have suffered a similar fate.

At the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, students are living in fear as terrorist attacks are becoming frequent in the communities within the school’s neighbourhood.

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe