Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State says he will not pay a ransom to bandits even if they kidnap his son.
Reiterating his administration’s resolve not to dialogue with criminal elements like most of his colleagues in the North are doing, Mr El-rufai in a radio chat on Friday said he has already warned his family members to be careful to avoid being abducted as he will not pay to get them freed if kidnapped.
“I mean it and I will say it again here. Even if my son is kidnapped, I will rather pray for him to make heaven instead, because I won’t pay any ransom,” the Kaduna helmsman said.
Banditry appears to be the new normal in the North with some state governments like those of Katsina, Niger and Zamfara choosing dialogue as the best approach to achieve lasting peace, a development President Muhammadu Buhari warned could backfire with dire consequences.
Over thirty students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Kaduna, in March, were abducted by bandits and parents have been pleading with the state government to pay ransom and get their children safely released. About 10 of the abductees have reportedly regained freedom.
On what his administration was doing to ensure the safe return of the students kidnapped, Mr El-rufai said all options are been explored aside payment of ransom.
