No ransom was paid to bandits for 58 kidnap victims’ freedom — CDS

No ransom was paid to bandits for the release of the 58 kidnapped victims who were abducted by terrorists in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has said.

He made this statement while handing over the kidnapped victims to the Chief of Staff to the Kaduna Governor, Mallam Liman Sani Kila, who represented the governor, Uba Sani.

Insisting that no ransom was paid, General Musa clarified that the victims were released through an arrangement facilitated by the state governor, in collaboration with the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.

According to Musa, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), one mechanised division led the joint rescue mission, demonstrating Governor Sani’s administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity in Kaduna State using a non-kinetic approach in collaboration with security agencies.

Upon their release, the rescued victims—mainly children and women—were taken to the office of the National Security Adviser for debriefing after undergoing a medical check-up.

The victims, which included 35 males and 23 females, were kidnapped by armed bandits under the command of a notorious criminal known as Janbros from Gayam, Sabon Layi, and Kwaga villages in Dan Musa local government area of Katsina State.

“The victims were forced to trek hundreds of kilometres through the Birnin Gwari forest. They were released at about 3 p.m. on Thursday, November 14th, through the non-kinetic arrangement facilitated by the state Governor, Senator Uba Sani, in collaboration with the office of the National Security Adviser,” General Musa explained.

In his remarks, the Governor thanked President Bola Tinubu, the NSA, and the military for their unwavering support and untiring efforts towards tackling insecurity in Kaduna and the North West Zone.

He said, “I just want to thank the president and commander in chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, the NSA, all the security agencies, and most importantly, the Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani.

“He actually deserves accolades because he did a lot to ensure the release of the victims. I want to also thank the religious leaders and traditional institutions for their support because security is everyone’s business. Let’s team up and fight this insecurity.”

Also, the CDS stressed that every Nigerian has a role to play in ensuring security, saying, “If we do not work together, it will be extremely difficult to succeed. It’s a whole-of-society approach.”

He also warned against sabotage by individuals attempting to undermine government efforts, stressing that security agencies are working tirelessly to ensure the safety of all Nigerians.

“Many of us have sacrificed weekends and holidays, working day and night to achieve these successes. We assure Nigerians that we will continue until every captive is freed and every Nigerian can move freely across the country,” he added.