Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has revealed that his government planned to attack and kill the bandits even if it was going to take the lives of some students when the 29 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State, were abducted.
According to the Governor, such action would only be considered as collateral damage and a price he would be willing to pay instead of paying ransom to the criminals.
He spoke on Thursday during a webinar organised by the Africa Leadership Group, while responding to a question on his refusal to negotiate with the criminal.
El-Rufai further revealed that before the planned attack could be carried out, the bandits hurriedly changed location.
“Two days after the abduction of the Afaka young people, I was assured by the air force and the army that they knew where the kidnappers were with the students and they had encircled [them],” the governor said.
“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,” he said.
The remaining abducted 29 students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State, regained their freedom on Wednesday
Their freedom was reportedly facilitated by Sheikh Ahmad Gummi Dialogue committee with the collaboration of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
