The statement made by Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, that he was ready to sacrifice some students of the College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of the state in order to neutralise bandits who abducted them have been described as insensitive by Nigerians.
The governor was dragged extensively on Twitter for this statement by many who argued that he would not take the same stance if his children were directly involved.
MSN reported that the Kaduna State Governor said at a webinar on Thursday that the military was ready to move against the bandits holding the students and would not have minded killing some of the innocent students in the process.
He said it was a war situation and he would not have minded sacrificing the children to get the bandits.
He said: “Two days after the abduction of the Afaka young people, I was assured by the air force and the army that they knew where the kidnappers were with the students and they had encircled them.
“We were going to attack them. We would lose a few students but we would kill all the bandits and we would recover some of the students. That was our plan. That was the plan of the air force and the army. But they slipped through the cordon of the army. That is why they were not attacked.”
Many Nigerians on Twitter found this statement distasteful. :
A Twitter user with the handle @bentigor, said: “It is known that some people will be caught in crossfire during such attacks but it is ill-advised to admit such to the media. I understand that he is trying to be brutally honest but certain things like that aren’t supposed to leave the room they had such a discussion.”
@nnaemy wrote: “This is a completely foolish thing to say. The plan was to attack and kill some students but the bandits escaped the CORDON of the army. Foolish statement from a supposedly intelligent man. No wonder his sons talk from their assess.”
@Vandecech wrote: “Nah your pikin them go kill as collateral damage. Efforts ought to be made to avoid hostage deaths, you don’t have to gloat about the likelihood of deaths. Highly insensitive to their family members. Heartless man. Better just forget any presidential ambitions.”
@omoba_ade19 wrote: “This statement is not good, a significant difference between the western world and our world. US/UK/FRC/RUS govt will never say this openly even if they know it will come to the killing of a few ones. Our government has no sympathy for our lives, no form of regret for lost lives. #shame”
@kaffytita said: “Very easy to say. ‘Lose some students’. Those are real people, if it were your children, would you say ‘lose some children’? People’s children fa, abeggi”,
@oluwadamilola_k :“This man doesn’t know the implication of what he’s saying. I hope the heartless kidnappers won’t launch another attack soon in Kaduna to dare him. Buhari is pleading with them and El-Rufai is here making empty threats.”
@ikimij: “A sane government will consider the life they’re trying to save before thinking of getting rid of the bandits. The purpose of the military should be to save life rather looking for children to sacrifice.”
