The federal government has emphasized that it will not be paying any ransom to kidnappers.
Addressing newsmen after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at Aso Rock on Wednesday, March 13, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris said they are working round the clock to make sure that those kidnapped were returned to their families.
He said:
“Now, it is true that some of these are happening. We have seen what has happened in Kaduna, in Borno and then in Sokoto. Of course, the government is watching that very closely and not just watching, also ensuring that security agencies are taking proactive steps to ensure that this is halted significantly.
“Now, like I said, Mr. President has said that is an unacceptable situation and the government will not condone abductions or kidnappings or any kind of criminality in that direction. We’re seeing this happening and the government is taking very proactive steps, first to mitigate that, and also to stop the spread of this apparently.
“We are seeing that the more the security agencies are also hitting these targets or criminals, the more they are pushed to also getting some soft targets. But the government is not taking any excuses.
“So, it’s important to underscore that no dime, government is not paying anybody any dime and the government is optimistic that these children and other people that have been abducted will be brought back to their families in safety.”
