Why FG didn't pay ransom to kidnappers of Oyo school pupils, teachers

…Lauds Tinubu, military, IGP, DSS, others

Yoruba nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho has explained that the Federal Government declined to pay ransom to the abductors of the teachers and pupils kidnapped in Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State who were recently released in order to discourage criminal enterprise in Nigeria.

In a statement issued by his media office, Igboho said the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes that paying ransom would embolden criminalities and further fund deadly operations of bandits in the country.

Igboho while reacting to the rescue of the kidnapped teachers and pupils, appreciated the “highly wired diplomacy intelligence-driven tactics” explored by the military to secure the freedom of the victims.

The statement reads “I want to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the military, the Police, Department of State Services and other paramilitary agencies for their painstaking efforts, which resulted in the freedom of the pupils and their teachers.

“This development not only brought relief and joy to their distraught families, it has also rekindled hope of the citizenry in the commitment of the Federal Government to tackle criminalities and ensure safe and secured environment.

“It is also crucial to laud the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu and the National Security Adviser.

“Since the day the pupils were abducted, Tinubu has spared no effort to ensure their release. I want to emphatically state and assure that government’s resolve to tackle criminal networks in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole is not in doubt.

“The Federal Government’s current synergy with local security organisations to confront criminals in communities will continue unabated as we are absolutely committed to exploring all legal means to create conducive environments for farmers and inhabitants of rural communities in the South West,” the statement added.

He, however, commiserated with the families that lost their loved ones during the period the victims were in captivity, especially a teacher, Michael Oyedokun, who was beheaded by the terrorists.