School abduction: FG rules out ransom payment, considers US offer

The Federal Government, on Wednesday, said it would not pay “a dime” as ransom for the release of over 280 pupils and teachers kidnapped from the Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School at Kuriga, Kaduna State.

The Federal Government also said it had received offers of help from the United States and other countries to secure the student’s release and was weighing the offers.

“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 were “working round the clock” to ensure the release of the students and teachers kidnaped on March 7,  promising that they would be “brought back to safety.”

The Federal Government’s stance came barely 24 hours after Kaduna-based Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, offered to approach and have a dialogue with terrorists who abducted the pupilsl

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 threats to the council.

A day earlier, the United Nations confirmed the abduction of at least 200 internally displaced persons from their camp in the Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State.

Gumi advised that 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 negotiate with bandits.

Conveying the President’s stance on the issue, the information 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.”

 On TVC’s Politics on Sunday, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, revealed that the FG was receiving support from the United States government for the release of the students, teachers and IDPs.

Asked what specific support the United States was prepared to offer Nigeria in the rescue efforts, Idris replied, “We’re aware that it is not just the US that has offered. 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.

“Now, like I said, Mr. President has said this is not an unacceptable situation. The government will not condone abductions or kidnapping or any kind of criminality in that direction…and the government is taking very proactive steps first to mitigate and also to stop the spread of this.

“The 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 the government is not paying anybody any dime.”

President Tinubu had on Friday condemned what he called “heinous incidents of abduction,” directing security agencies to ensure their rescue.

Tinubu, who said he had been briefed on both abductions in Borno and Kaduna, assured Nigerians of ongoing rescue efforts.