“I Preferred To Have Few Students Killed In Airstrikes On Bandits Than To Pay Ransom” -El-Rufai

According to Punchng, El-rufai while responding to a question on his refusal to negotiate with bandits, during a webinar organised by the Africa Leadership Group, said the plan with the Nigerian Army two days after the abduction, was to attack and kill the bandits even if it meant some students would die in the process.

The governor added that although the death of the students would have been painful but he was willing to pay such high price which would be considered to be a collateral damage instead of paying ransom.

However, El-Rufai disclosed that before the NAF could carry out the operation the bandits quickly changed their location.

“We were going to attack them. We would lose a few students but we would kill all the bandits and we would recover some of the students. That was our plan. That was the plan of the air force and the army.’

“But they slipped through the cordon of the army. That is why they were not attacked.”

“We know it is risky, we know in the process we may lose some of the abductees but it is a price we have to pay.”

“This is war, there will always be collateral damage in war and we will rather do that than pay money because paying money has not solved the problem anywhere in the world.”

Recall that the Governor has consistently maintained that on no circumstances will he ever negotiate or pay ransom to bandits.

To reaffirm his stance, he added even if his son was kidnapped, he would still not negotiate but pray that he gets to heaven if he eventually get killed.

The remaining 29 students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State, was released on Thursday, after former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Sheikh Gumi was said to have mediated in the matter.