President Bola Tinubu has reiterated that his administration will not negotiate with criminals or pay ransom to secure the release of kidnap victims, warning that doing so would encourage terrorism and banditry.
The President made the declaration on Thursday while receiving traditional rulers from Oyo State, led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“We refuse to pay ransom. We know the geography of the forests. We know what it is, and in response to it, you have seen that we are moving from eight divisions to 12 divisions to shorten the response time and give that response the teeth needed for us to defeat terrorism and banditry. It is very necessary, and we are doing so,” he said.
Tinubu disclosed that the abductors had demanded not only ransom but also the release of detained members of their criminal gang, a request the Federal Government flatly rejected.
“We refuse to negotiate for ransom. These criminals wanted us to release from detention members of their criminal gangs who had already been arrested. That was one of their conditions, apart from the money they were looking for, and we said, ‘No deal.’ We are not going to negotiate with criminals. They committed murder, and we were ready to finish with them.”
He also pointed out that regional instability in Sahel neighbors like Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Niger Republic continues to complicate domestic security challenges.
Speaking on the successful rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Tinubu commended the armed forces for their role and outlined ongoing structural improvements.
These include expanding the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions to improve response times, introducing state police equipped with proper guardrails against abuse alongside active roles for traditional rulers, and upgrading forest guards to actively track and combat criminals rather than just wildlife.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government has stepped up security efforts with the deployment of two newly acquired surveillance aircraft. Procured in partnership with the Nigerian Air Force, the aircraft are designed to strengthen intelligence gathering, aerial operations, and rapid response capabilities across the state.
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