Senate spokesperson Yemi Adaramodu on Friday denied claims that the Federal Government paid ransom to secure the release of schoolchildren abducted in Kebbi and Niger states, stating on Channels Television that “we believe the Federal Government did not pay any ransom to anybody,” and stressing that security agencies may contact kidnappers in various ways but are not required to make operational details public.
His comments follow growing public suspicion over recent rescues, especially after presidential aide Bayo Onanuga confirmed that operatives contacted bandits in the Kwara case.
Adaramodu cautioned Nigerians against assuming there was no confrontation simply because no gunmen were paraded, noting that criminals often flee when they sense “superior firepower.”
He also disclosed that the Senate has set up an ad-hoc committee to probe the Kebbi school abduction, including why soldiers assigned to guard the school reportedly abandoned their posts and the circumstances surrounding the death of Brigadier General Musa Uba.