"I’ll Not Pay Ransom Even If My Son Is Kidnapped" – Governor El-Rufai Tells Parents Of Abducted Kaduna School Students

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The Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai maintains his stance on "no negotiation with bandits and kidnappers", following the abduction of school students in the state.

JournalReporters had exclusively reported how gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits invaded and kidnapped scores of school students from the Federal College of Forestry And Mechanization, Mando in Kaduna State, at the wee hour of Friday March 12, 2021.

Several calls have been made for the governor to concede to the bandits' request for ransom, however, El-Rufai had refused to accede to negotiation, boasting that he will not consider paying ransom to bandits even if his son was abducted.

El-Rufai further added that he will rather pray for his son to make heaven instead of paying ransom.

“I mean it and I will say it again here. Even if my son is kidnapped, I will rather pray for him to make heaven instead because I won’t pay any ransom,” El-Rufai said.

The Nation newspaper reports that the Kaduna governor during a radio interview on Friday, said that his administration is considering other means to ensure that the students abducted by bandits are released and returned to their parents.

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El-Rufai ruled out chances of negotiating with bandits and payment of ransom to secure the release of students from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, who are still in the custody of bandits.

Meanwhile, the governor at a town hall meeting on Thursday pointed out that bandits terrorising Nigeria have lost their rights to life under the constitution adding that they must be wiped out.

He suggested that security agencies confront the bandits and chase them out of their forest hideout.

“The bandits are at war with Nigeria and there is no other way to approach the current insurgency but for security forces to take the war to the bandits and recover forests where they are occupying,” Governor El-Rufai at the town hall meeting on Thursday said.

But parents of the abducted students on Monday, vowed to enter negotiation with bandits, despite Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s stand.

Samuel Kambai, the Chairman of Afaka Parents Association, during a meeting at the College Premises on Monday said the parents will do anything possible including negotiating with bandits to ensure that their children are freed from captivity

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