The Federal Government on Wednesday said it would not pay “a dime” as ransom for the release of over 280 pupils and teachers of Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School at Kuriga, Kaduna State, kidnaped on March 7.
“Mr. President reiterated his zero tolerance for the payment of ransom…and Mr. President has also directed that no ransom will be paid by the government to any of these criminal elements,” the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told State House correspondents at the end of Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting held at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
Idris insisted that the security agencies are “working round the clock” to ensure their release, adding that they will be “brought back to safety.”
His remarks come barely 24 hours after Kaduna-based Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, offered to speak with terrorists who abducted at least 280 schoolchildren from Kuriga Government Secondary and LEA Primary Schools in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
The terrorists reportedly invaded Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna, shooting at their targets before whisking away the pupils and teachers from both schools.
Locals said the secondary section of the school was relocated to the primary school on account of the security threat.
A day earlier, the United Nations had confirmed the abduction of at least 200 internally displaced persons from their camp in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State.
In a statement released on last Wednesday, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, said the abductees, including women, boys and girls, were captured while fetching firewood.
Although the actual number of IDPs abducted remains unknown, Fall said they may be over 200 persons.
Also, Gumi said to facilitate the release of the abducted schoolchildren, the President should give him the opportunity to negotiate.
The Islamic scholar warned against Tinubu repeating “the mistake” made by his immediate predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who refused to have any dialogue with bandits.
Conveying the President’s stance on the issue, the minister said, “In council today, Mr. President reiterated his directive to the security agencies and the Ministry of Defence to ensure that our kids that have been abducted by these criminal gangs are brought back to their homes safely. This was also mentioned by Mr. President in Council today.
“So the security agencies are working around the clock. These children and people who have been abducted by criminal elements will be brought back to safety pretty soon.
“The security agencies are working hard in that direction. And Mr President has also directed that no ransom will be paid by the government to any of these criminal elements.”
