By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Federal Government yesterday maintained that no ransom was paid for the release of the 137 schoolchildren kidnapped from Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The government also said that the Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi had been a guest of the security agencies over his comments on kidnapping and bandits.
These among others were disclosed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, while fielding questions from State House correspondents during a briefing at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The Minister insisted that the non-payment of ransom is in line with President Tinubu’s policy of dealing with such matters.
According to him, “Mr President and members of Council were happy to note that, as promised by Mr. President, these children were reunited or have been rescued from the captors and as usual and in keeping with the commitment of Mr. President, no ransom was paid.
“The Federal Executive Council and Mr. President are very grateful to especially the National Security Adviser, the service chiefs, and all security agents who participated diligently in ensuring that these kidnapped children are reunited with their families.
“The government is determined to ensure that the lives and property of all Nigerians are protected at all time and Mr President has also charged security agencies to ensure that these kidnappings are brought to a halt finally in this country.
“Indeed, all those who are participating in this criminal act will be fished out by the security agencies and will never go unpunished.”
Idris said the president appreciated the role of the security services in the safe return of the abductees and vowed that all those involved in such acts in the country would be fished out.
When asked to comment on the report that ransom was paid to secure the release of the school children, he maintained that there was nothing like payment of ransom and that the most important thing was that the school children were all released unhurt.
He said, “The question of ransom, whether ransom was paid, I have told you here severally that President Bola Tinubu is determined to end this cycle of payment of ransom to kidnappers. The government believes that this continues to encourage these kidnappers and criminal elements to perpetrate the act within the Nigerian nation.
“And it is the official position of government as I announced last week that ransom will not be tolerated, ransom will not be encouraged, and ransom will not be paid by the government to rescue people. And what that means, of course, is that there’s now a new strategy put in place.
“On what strategy has been put in place? The security agencies of course will not reveal to you their modus operandi, but suffice it to say that the security agencies are also upping their game involving new strategies for getting at these criminal elements and ensuring that our children or anybody who is kidnapped for that matter, is taken up with safety.
“This is consistent with the message of the President that has been given out in the last couple of weeks that these children will be reunited with their families. All those who are kidnapped from all parts of the country will also be reunited with their families.
“What type of strategies is best known to the security agencies, what is important here is that Nigeria has been able to rescue these people and I think we should be cheerful about that, and whatever strategy that is involved in doing that, we will continue to encourage security agencies to continue.”
*Gumi guest of security agencies over comments on kidnapping, banditry
Fielding questions on why the government has not been able to liaise with the Kaduna-based Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who most times appears to have information on the operation of the kidnappers and bandits, the Minister said that the security agencies are up and doing to get credible information from Nigerians that would lead to the end of the criminal acts
He, however, warned that the government would not fold its arms to watch some people make reckless comments, adding that Sheikh Gumi has been a guest of the security agencies.
Idris said, “Anybody that gets any kind of information that is required to solve our problems, the security agencies are up and doing. Sheikh Gumi or any other individual for that matter is not above the law.
“If you have suggestions that are constructive enough for the security agencies to take, they will take but if they think that he is also making some statements that appear to be reckless, he will also be reprimanded. There is nobody that is above the law in this regard.
“And I’m aware that he has been also a guest of security agencies to answer questions. When you make remarks especially remarks that border on our national security. It is incumbent on the security agencies to dig further into that, and they’re doing just that. No one is above the law in this direction.”
Further asked to clarify the actual number of the school children that were kidnapped, as the initial report had it that 287 children were abducted by their captors, he said the most important thing was that all the school children were released unhurt.
He said, “There was a question on the report that 287 of these children were taken, you know, what I can tell you is that there is no report that any of these kidnapped victims, either died or has been withheld. So all those that have been taken have been brought back in safety to their families. I can tell you that.”
