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The Minister of Information, Mr Lai Mohammed has said that no ransom was paid for the release of the abducted Kankara schoolboys in Katsina State and the Dapchi schoolgirls in Yobe State.
He said this on Channels Television’s Sunrise Saturday while explaining some of the government’s strategies to curb the rate of abductions in the country.
“All these stories about ransom, are conspiracy theories,” the minister said.
His comments come days after another abduction of students in Kagara, Niger State, was executed.
Reacting to the incident, the minister who had on Wednesday visited the state with a Federal Government delegation to assess the situation, said the government is putting various strategies in place to curb the menace.
“Government has put in place various strategies to contain banditry, insurgency and kidnapping.
“Some of these measures are kinetic, some are non-kinetic,” Mr Lai Mohammed said.
He, however, ruled out the option of a ransom being paid for their release.
When asked: Will a ransom be part of the government’s strategy? the minister said: “No”.
He continued by saying: “I can assure you that the government is on top of the matter – but it is not a subject matter for television discussion.
“We didn’t get there overnight, that is why we can’t get out in one day”.
