Nigeria’s president has issued a directive to security forces, instructing them not to entertain ransom demands for the release of over 250 school pupils abducted by gunmen last week, according to the country’s information minister.
Relatives of the kidnapped students revealed that the abductors have demanded a hefty ransom for the safe return of the students taken from their school in Kuriga village, located in the northwestern Kaduna State.
Mass kidnappings, particularly targeting schools, villages, and highways, have become a distressing trend in northwest Nigeria over the past three years. Hundreds of students have fallen victim to these criminal gangs, who often hold them captive in forest hideouts, releasing them only after substantial ransom payments.
Although negotiations often lead to the release of kidnap victims in Nigeria, government officials consistently deny any involvement in ransom payments. In alignment with this stance, Minister Mohammed Idris relayed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s instructions to the forces engaged in the search operation, emphasizing that no ransom should be paid.
“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,” he told journalists following a cabinet meeting in the capital Abuja.
Acknowledging international assistance offered by countries like the United States, Minister Idris mentioned that the government is currently reviewing these pledges, although specifics have yet to be confirmed by the United States.
Despite the government’s stand against ransom payments, families and communities affected by kidnappings often resort to pooling their resources to meet the demands. However, a law implemented in 2022 prohibits handing money over to kidnappers.
While security forces continue their efforts to locate and rescue the abducted students in the forests, concerned families lament the lack of concrete updates on the situation.
“We will continue praying for divine help in resolving this tragedy while the government takes up the issue with the kidnappers,” relative Muhammad Kabir told media.
The recent abduction of dozens of individuals from a village in Kajuru district, approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Kuriga, further underscores the escalating challenge posed by large-scale kidnappings, presenting a formidable test for Tinubu’s government, which has pledged to address the security crisis.
The incidents echo the infamous abduction of over 250 schoolgirls from Chibok in the northeast by Boko Haram militants in 2014, sparking international outrage and highlighting the persistent threat of insecurity in Nigeria.
