Presidency breaks silence on alleged ransom payments for Kebbi schoolgirls’ release

The Presidency has addressed growing speculations that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led federal government paid ransom for the release of kidnapped schoolchildren, noting that the government neither negotiates with nor pays terrorists.

Speaking on Channels TV on Wednesday, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, acknowledged that previous administrations sometimes engaged in negotiations to protect citizens.

“There was a time the Federal Government was negotiating.

“When they said both states and the Federal Government can be in a situation where they will have to negotiate because if your duty is to preserve the life of people and citizens of Nigeria are in danger and negotiation is the only way to save them … you have to do all that you need to do to save them at that time.”

He said Tinubu’s administration now maintains “a zero-tolerance policy on negotiation.”

Explaining this stance, he said, “You are constructively financing terrorism without knowing it.

“Instead of targeting those sponsoring them, ransom payments only allow terrorists to buy more weapons. The Federal Government does not, and will not, tolerate the idea of negotiation.”

Responding to questions about the release of the Kebbi schoolgirls, Bwala said several factors could contribute to such releases, including pressure from negotiators, religious leaders, intelligence operations, or interventions by families or state governments.

“But you ask the question whether the Federal Government did pay ransom, and I told you no,” he emphasised.

On terrorists’ claims in videos that negotiations took place, he said, “That’s the whole essence of terrorism.

“Terrorism is a belligerent war; terrorists inflict fear. In terms of communication, they can say anything they want to say … but if they want to, the same way you want the government to support whatever claim the government is making, I believe that if the terrorists have facts as they claim, they will give those facts … confidence building will take time.”

He added that although the issue predates the Tinubu administration, “our eyes are on the ball. Solving the problem is much more important to us than people having a meeting … to say government is doing well or not.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE