Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Saturday, said the Federal Government won ’ t pay ransom to secure the release of the abducted students and members of staff of Government Science College, Kagara.
He stated this today while featuring on Channels Television’ s ‘ Sunrise Daily ’
There have been unconfirmed reports circulating on social media that the government had paid a huge amount of money to secure the release of the abductees .
But when asked on Saturday whether the government had paid ransom , the minister said , “ No . ”
Mohammed added , “ We employ kinetic and non -kinetic ( measures) , you don’ t throwaway invitation to engage but the overall strategy you keep to your chest. ”
Continuing, he said , “ Bandits all over the world work with psychology of people .
Deliberately, they target women and children because this is what will attract a lot of global outcry . That is exactly what bandits do all over the world .
“ The government has put in place , all along , various strategies to contain banditry , to fight insurgency , to fight kidnapping. Some of these measures are kinetic, some are not kinetic. We didn ’ t get here overnight and that is why it is difficult to get out one day .
“ Criminality in any form will not be tolerated by government . At the same time , government has a duty to look at the underlining causes of some of these criminalities in other to address them .
“ I was in Minna with my colleagues, the Ministers of Interior and Police Affairs, the IG, and the National Security Adviser on Wednesday to get a firsthand information on the abduction of these Kagara schoolboys. I can tell you that as at today that the government is on top of the matter . ”
The PUNCH had earlier reported that Niger State Governor , Abubakar Bello, ordered the immediate closure of all boarding schools in the bandit -ravaged areas on Wednesday after the attack in Kagara.
The Senate had also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on security without further delay.
Wednesday’ s attack happened a few months after bandits kidnapped over 300 schoolboys from Government Science Secondary School in Kankara , Katsina State .
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