President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians and parents of the recently kidnapped school children in Kaduna that the Federal Government will rescue the children and others recently kidnapped across the country without paying ransom to the kidnappers.
Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation states this while briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu, at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday
The Minister while promising to ensure the safe return of all kidnapped victims in different parts of the country, reiterated that the president had tasked the security agencies that they would ensure no ransom is paid to achieve this.
Recall that the kidnappers, operating in Gonin-Gora Area of Kaduna metropolis, Kaduna State, had demanded N40 trillion, eleven Hilux Toyota bans and 150 motorcycles for the release of their victims.
Another set of bandits in Sokoto State kidnapped 15 Quranic students, and recently established contact with the families, demanding a sum of N20 million as ransom before they would be released.
Another group of 61 locals were reportedly abducted by bandits in Buda community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Monday.
The Minister while replying on President’s instruction to security agencies, reiterated that Tinubu was emphatic about his no-ransom-payment position, though he had told them to ensure all victims were rescued, without any excuse.
“You’re also asking about the apparent surge in this kidnapping across the country. Now it is true that some of these are happening, we have seen what has happened in Kaduna, in Borno and then in Sokoto.
“Of course, government is watching that very closely and not just watching, also ensuring that security agencies are taking proactive steps to ensure that this is halted significantly.
“Now, like I said, Mr. President has said that is an unacceptable situation and the government will not condone abductions or kidnappings or any kind of criminality in that direction. We’re seeing this happening and government is taking very proactive steps, first to mitigate that, and also to stop the spread of this apparently..
“We are seeing that the more the security agencies are also hitting these targets or criminals, the more they are pushed to also getting some soft targets. But government is not taking any excuses.
“The President has directed that security agencies must, as a matter of urgency, ensure that these children and all those who have been kidnapped are brought back in safety and also in the process to ensure that not a dime is paid for ransom.
“So it’s important to underscore that no dime, government is not paying anybody any dime and the government is optimistic that these children and other people that have been abducted will be brought back to their families in safety”, he said.
