The spokesperson for the Senate, Yemi Adaramodu, has reiterated that the Federal Government paid no ransom to secure the release of the recently kidnapped victims in Kebbi and Niger states.
Adaramodu stated this on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, addressing concerns over the apparent lack of evidence of confrontations between security operatives and kidnappers during recent rescue operations.
The increasing frequency of school kidnappings has sparked debates over alleged ransom payments, despite repeated denials from officials. Human rights groups and community leaders have argued that opaque rescue operations fuel speculation, especially when victims are freed without clear explanations.
However, the senator representing Ekiti South senatorial district stressed that negotiations or contact with abductors can take many forms, and the public should not expect security agencies to disclose operational details.
“From our side at the National Assembly, we believe the Federal Government did not pay any ransom to anybody,” he said.
“If there is any contact with the bandits, there are several types, negative or positive. It can be through force or persuasion.”
The latest kidnappings in Kebbi and Niger states, where students were seized from their schools, have renewed concerns about the country’s intelligence and early-warning systems.
Adaramodu warned against assuming no military action occurred simply because no images or evidence of arrests were presented.
“If you have not seen the corpses of abductors or them being handcuffed from the forest, that does not mean there was no serious exchange of battle,” he stated.
“When abductors realise that superior power is coming, they can abandon their victims and flee.”
Senate Launches Probe into Kebbi School Attack
Responding to questions about security lapses prior to the Kebbi school abduction, Adaramodu confirmed the Senate has set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the incident. He noted that briefings from state authorities and security agencies indicated soldiers guarding the school left their posts shortly before the attackers struck.
“We were made to understand, especially from the government of the state, that the soldiers guarding that place left, and minutes later those people struck and kidnapped our children,” he said.
The death of Brigadier General Musa Uba, involved in anti-banditry operations, has also intensified scrutiny of the armed forces’ operational readiness. Adaramodu confirmed the committee would examine the circumstances surrounding the general’s death.
Security Agencies Will Not Publicize Tactics
Adaramodu explained that military and security agencies are not required to provide public details of their operational strategies.
“The ways and manners of the military, how they rescue victims, cannot and will not be made public,” he said.
“As a security agency, they will not tell us how many bullets they shot or how many guns they lost.”
He emphasised that the Senate and Federal Government’s priority is the safe recovery of victims, not publishing tactical details.
“The job we gave them is to rescue the victims—our girls, our parents, our worshippers,” he said.
“What we know is that they went, they brought back those who were ferried into the forest, and that is what matters.”
Adaramodu assured Nigerians that the National Assembly will continue to demand accountability while supporting the armed forces in combating insecurity nationwide.