The Federal Government has reiterated that it does not pay ransom for kidnapped victims, insisting that the release of abducted persons is achieved through sustained military pressure and intelligence-led operations.
The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd.), stated this in an interview with BBC Hausa monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Kaduna.
Musa dismissed persistent public assumptions that the government pays ransom to secure the release of abducted persons, particularly schoolchildren.
“The Federal Government does not pay ransom. Even if others do, the Federal Government does not. We do not pay ransom,” he said.
According to the minister, victims rescued from kidnappers are usually freed following coordinated security operations that force criminal elements to abandon their captives.
“People only assume that ransom is paid. For instance, whenever children are kidnapped from schools, soldiers go into the forest to apply pressure on the bandits so they flee and abandon the children, and then we recover them. There is no issue of paying ransom,” Musa explained.
He warned that paying ransom strengthens criminal networks and encourages further kidnappings.
“We 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.
The minister urged families and communities to promptly report cases of abduction to security agencies rather than negotiating with kidnappers.
“If someone is kidnapped, they should report to the security agencies so that proper action can be taken,” he added.
Musa also cautioned communities against having any form of dealings with bandits, including supplying them with food and other essential items.
“We constantly tell people to stop having dealings with bandits and to stop selling food or drinks to them,” he said.
He stressed that intelligence from the public remains critical to ending banditry across the country.
“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 said.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to restoring peace and security nationwide, noting that sustained military action combined with public cooperation remained the most effective strategy against banditry.
He further warned state governments against entering into peace negotiations with bandits, describing such arrangements as deceptive and counterproductive.
Musa cited Katsina State as an example, saying the Federal Government had cautioned against peace initiatives with armed groups in the state.
He added that the Federal Government’s overriding goal was to ensure lasting peace and security across the country.