President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has firmly declared that his administration will not pay ransom to terrorists or bandits, stating that the Federal Government is deploying strategic, intelligence-driven measures to defeat criminal elements across the country.
The President made the statement on Thursday while receiving the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, and members of the Olubadan-in-Council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He spoke in the context of the successful rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted by bandits in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
President Tinubu commended the armed forces for their excellent performance in the rescue operation and noted that every security incident provides lessons for improving Nigeria’s security architecture.
“As we emphasise the question of security, each event teaches us new methods, opens our eyes, challenges us to examine and re-examine our architecture, our strategy, our map and operations,” the President said.
He stressed that the government has adopted a new approach that excludes ransom payments: “And you will have seen, we will give them a geographical and numerical answer to the challenges. We refuse to pay ransom; we have the geography of the forest, we know what it is, and an answer to it.”
The President further revealed that the criminals had demanded both ransom and the release of their detained members as conditions for freeing the abductees. “We refuse to negotiate for ransom. These criminals wanted us to release from detention members of their criminal gangs that were already arrested. That was one of their conditions outside the money they were looking for, and we said no deal. We are not going to negotiate with criminals,” he stated.
To strengthen response capability, President Tinubu announced the expansion of the Nigerian Army from eight divisions to 12 divisions. “You’ve seen that from eight divisions now, we are now moving to 12 divisions, to shorten the response time, to give that response time the teeth that is needed for us to defeat terrorism. It is very necessary and we are doing so,” he said.
He also confirmed that the Federal Government is moving to establish state police to address long-standing security gaps at the local level, with built-in safeguards against abuse. “There will be state police. And as state police, we have a guardrail from abuses; we will protect it from abuses,” the President noted.
In addition, the administration is enhancing the capacity of forest guards so they can confront criminals operating in forests rather than focusing solely on wildlife. Traditional rulers were urged to play a greater role in supporting security efforts and promoting community vigilance.
President Tinubu expressed confidence that security conditions are improving and pledged continued investment in the security agencies. He encouraged citizens to support and appreciate the men and women of the armed forces and police who are working to protect the nation.
The Federal Government remains committed to a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping, prioritising the safety of all Nigerians through decisive action rather than concessions to criminal groups.