Nigeria: Tinubu Orders No Ransom Payments for Kidnapped Students

In response to the recent kidnapping of nearly 300 students and staff from a school in north-western Kaduna state, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has issued a directive to security forces not to pay ransom for their release. The announcement was made by the country’s Information Minister Mohammed Idris, who stated that President Tinubu has instructed security agencies to ensure the safe release of all kidnapped victims without succumbing to the demands of the kidnappers.

Relatives of the abducted individuals had reported that the gunmen demanded significant sums of money, amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars, for the release of the students taken from their school in Kuriga village. However, President Tinubu has stressed that no ransom should be paid, instructing forces involved in the search and rescue operations to stand firm on this directive.

This decision comes amidst a wave of mass kidnappings in Nigeria, with another incident occurring recently where over 60 individuals were abducted from a village in Kaduna state. The surge in such incidents over the past week has underscored the ongoing challenges of insecurity faced by President Tinubu’s government, despite previous promises to address the issue.

In the face of these challenges, Nigeria had passed a law in 2022 banning the payment of ransom to kidnappers. While negotiations with authorities have led to the release of some hostages in the past, officials deny any ransom payments being made.

As Nigeria grapples with the alarming increase in large-scale abductions, President Tinubu’s directive not to pay ransom reflects the government’s stance on tackling insecurity while upholding the rule of law. However, the effectiveness of this approach remains to be seen as the country continues to confront this pressing security issue.