The Senate spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, has insisted that the Federal Government did not pay any ransom to anybody to secure the release of kidnapped victims in Kebbi and Niger states. Speaking on Channels Televisions The Morning Brief on Friday, November 28, he addressed concerns over the absence of visible confrontations between security personnel and the abductors during the rescue operations. From our side at the National Assembly, we believe the Federal Government did not pay any ransom to anybody, he said on the programme. He added that when officials interact with kidnappers, there are several types, negative or positive. It can be through force or persuasion. With school abductions becoming more frequent, human rights advocates and community leaders have raised concerns that the secrecy surrounding rescue operations fuels speculation. Adaramodu, however, cautioned the public against drawing conclusions simply because no bodies or arrested kidnappers were displayed. If you have not seen the corpses of abductors or them being handcuffed from the forest, that does not mean there was no serious exchange of battle, he said. When abductors realise that superior power is coming, they can abandon their victims and flee. He emphasised that security agencies are not required to reveal their tactics, stating: The ways and manners of the military, how they rescue victims, cannot and will not be made public. As a security agency, they will not tell us how many bullets they shot or how many guns they lost. He stressed that the primary responsibility of the government and the armed forces is ensuring victims are rescued safely. The job we gave them is to rescue the victimsour girls, our parents, our worshippers, he said. What we know is that they went, they brought back those who were ferried into the forest, and that is what matters. Addressing the recent school abductions in Kebbi and Niger states, Adaramodu revealed that the Senate has set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the incidents. He explained that briefings from state authorities indicated that soldiers deployed to secure the girls' secondary school in Kebbi reportedly abandoned their post shortly before the attackers arrived. We were made to understand, especially from the government of the state, that the soldiers guarding that place left, and minutes later those people struck and kidnapped our children, he said. He further noted that the death of Brigadier General Musa Uba, who had been involved in operations targeting bandit activities, deepened concerns about the level of preparedness and safety of frontline personnel. The Senate committee would also look into the circumstances surrounding his death. Adaramodu assured Nigerians that the National Assembly will continue to demand accountability from security agencies while supporting efforts to tackle insecurity across the country.
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