Nigeria’s 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 attempted a rescue operation.
Speaking in a preview of an interview with News Central, shared ahead of its full broadcast on Friday, Musa said the kidnappers were using the children as bargaining chips to demand the release of their commanders currently in military custody.
According to the minister, the armed group warned security forces against moving closer to their hideout, threatening to execute all the abducted children if troops launched an assault.
“They are looking for leverage because we have some of their commanders with us, and they believe taking these children hostage will force us to release them,” Musa said.
The comments come nearly eight weeks after gunmen abducted 39 pupils and seven teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, and two other schools in Esinle, Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, on May 15.
Musa also called for tougher penalties against bandits and kidnappers, backing the introduction of the death penalty for those convicted of such crimes.
He argued that existing laws were too lenient and had failed to deter 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.
