Adamant El-Rufai insists he won’t pay ransom even to save his son from kidnappers

The governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has once again stated that his government will not comprise its stance against either negotiating or paying ransom to kidnappers in the state. The governor who was speaking in a radio interview noted that even if it was his son who was kidnapped he would never change his stance. According to him, “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.” It would be recalled that the governor had since the kidnapping of the students of the Federal School of Forestry Mechanisation, Kaduna State, insisted that his government would not pay any money to the criminals involved. The governor explained that he had always been against the practice in some quarters of paying ransom to criminals. Ever since the kidnapping of the students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation happened on March 11, the governor has continued to insist that the Kaduna State government would not pay ransom to have the students back from criminals. This is against the backdrop of street protests that were embarked upon by some people who called on the government to bring the students home. In the latest interview, the governor emphasizes that in regard to any form of payment, his government is “absolutely not paying ransom”, rather his government is considering other means to ensure the students are brought home. However, on the same day, Friday, that the governor granted the interview, the Kaduna State Government handed over five more students, out of the 39 abducted students of the College of Forestry Mechanisation, to their parents. These five students were released barely 72 hours after the first set of five students were released by the kidnappers. As such at this time the total number of the students freed now is 10, leaving 29 others yet to be rescued.