The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has revealed that bandits holding pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oyo State threatened to kill the captives if security forces moved closer to their location.
Musa made the disclosure in a preview of an interview with News Central, released on Wednesday ahead of the full broadcast scheduled for Friday on the station’s NC Exclusive programme.
According to the minister, the kidnappers are using the abducted children as bargaining tools in an attempt to secure the release of some of their commanders currently in military custody.
He said, “For whatever reason, they are looking for leverage because we have some of their commanders with us and they feel taking these kids and holding them to ransom will make us release their commander.”
Musa added that the security forces had to exercise caution after the kidnappers issued direct threats against the lives of the hostages.
According to him, “And now they’re threatening when we wanted to take action against them that if we come any closer, they’re going to kill all the kids.”
The minister’s comments come almost eight weeks after armed men abducted 39 pupils and seven teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, along with two other schools in Esinle, located in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, on May 15.
Addressing the broader challenge of kidnapping and banditry, Musa called for tougher punishment for offenders, arguing that existing laws are not serving as an effective deterrent.
He expressed support for the death penalty for convicted kidnappers and bandits, stating that stronger sanctions would discourage criminal activities.
“I think we should do that. There must be deterrence. The laws are soft, and that’s why people take advantage. If they know once you commit an offence, there must be punishment,” he said.
