President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a strong warning to bandits kidnapping school students for ransom, saying his administration will not succumb to blackmail.
This comes as the president condemned the kidnap of hundreds of girls of the Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe in Zamfara State, who were abducted by gunmen on Friday.
In a statement released by the his spokesman Garba Shehu, yesterday,
Buhari said no criminal group can be too strong to be defeated by the government and the only thing standing between the security forces and the bandits are the rules of engagement and fear of heavy casualties of innocent villagers and hostages who might be used as human shields by the bandits.
The President further noted that a hostage crisis is a complex situation that requires maximum patience in order to protect the victims from physical harm or even brutal death at the hands of their captors.
He also appealed to state governments to review their policy of rewarding bandits with money and vehicles, warning that the policy might backfire, also advising states and local governments to be more proactive by improving security around schools and their surroundings.
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