The Federal Government has reiterated that it does not pay ransom to secure the release of abducted persons, insisting that victims are freed through military pressure and intelligence-led operations.
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, made the clarification in an interview with BBC Hausa, amid persistent public belief that ransom payments are often made to secure the release of kidnapped victims, especially schoolchildren.
Musa was emphatic that the Federal Government does not negotiate financially with kidnappers.
“The federal government does not pay ransom. Even if others do, the federal government does not. We do not pay ransom,” he said.
He explained that many rescues attributed to ransom payments are actually the result of sustained security operations.
“People only assume that ransom is paid. For example, whenever children are kidnapped from schools, soldiers go into the forest to apply pressure on the bandits so they will flee and abandon the children, and then we recover them. There is no issue of paying ransom,” Musa stated.
The defence minister warned that paying ransom only strengthens criminal networks and fuels further abductions.
“We also oppose it, because if it continues, it will encourage people to kidnap for money. That is why we say people should stop paying ransom,” he said.
He urged families and communities affected by kidnappings to report incidents promptly to security agencies rather than engaging abductors.
“If someone is kidnapped, they should report to the security agencies so that proper action can be taken,” Musa added.
Musa also cautioned communities against having any form of dealings with bandits, including selling food, drinks or supplies to them.
“We constantly tell people to stop having dealings with bandits and to stop selling food or drinks to them,” he said.
He described such transactions as morally wrong and harmful to national security.
“What people should understand is that if you sell food to them and they give you money, you are eating blood money, and that is not good,” he warned.
The minister further cautioned state governments against negotiating peace agreements with bandits, describing such deals as deceptive and counterproductive.
He cited Katsina State as an example, noting that the Federal Government had advised against peace initiatives with armed groups in the state.
Musa reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to restoring peace nationwide, stressing that sustained military action, combined with public cooperation and intelligence sharing, remains the most effective approach to ending banditry.