Naija News has recalled how Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State asked ex-president Goodluck Jonathan to negotiate with Boko Haram terrorists for the release of abducted students of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.
El-Rufai was one of the loud voices that attacked the government of Jonathan for failing to protect the school and allowing the insurgents to kidnap the students.
He had said: “If one of these girls was Jonathan’s daughter, the story would have been different. The only reason why these girls are still in captivity is that they are not the daughter of any important Nigerian, and we know it. If you say we are politcising terrorism, go and rescue the girls so that I will not have the basis to politicise it.”
Asked if he was in support of negotiation, he had responded: “I am in support of every option when you have life’s of citizens at risk, you should not have any option on the table. You should reflect and listen.”
It is interesting to know the same governor has ruled out the option of negotiating with bandits, saying they deserved to be killed.
The bandits, who abducted the students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna, had demanded an N500 million ransom from the government but the governor called their bluff.
Ten of the 39 students who were abducted in the school regained freedom after their parents negotiated with the bandits directly.
Last week, armed men stormed Greenfield University in Kaduna and abducted many students yet the governor maintained the stance of not discussing with the armed men for the release of the students.
Sadly, five of them have been killed and the bandits have vowed to continue killing them if the N800 ransom demand is not met.