I will not pay ransom to bandits even if my son is kidnapped – El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has maintained that he will not consider paying ransom to bandits even if his son gets abducted.

The Kaduna governor, who had in recent time shown zero tolerance for negotiation with bandits despite pressure, said 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,” Mr El-Rufai said.

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

Mr 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.

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“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.

However, Parents of the kidnapped 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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