The Kogi State Government has stated that it did not negotiate with kidnappers in a recent abduction case in the state, stating that security operatives successfully rescued the victims after a gun battle with the criminals.
The state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, stated this on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s programme, Morning Brief.
Fanwo, who dismissed speculations that the victims were either ransomed or released by the abductors, maintained that the operation was a direct rescue carried out by security forces.
When asked whether ransom was paid, Fanwo said, “In Kogi State, we don’t negotiate with kidnappers and criminals.
“The government said it’s not going to bow to any criminal. We have the capacity to take them out. We have the capacity to deal with the situation.”
He explained that the rescue effort involved an exchange of gunfire between the kidnappers and security operatives, during which the state suffered casualties.
“We regret the fact that in the fire exchange between the kidnappers and our military and security agencies, we lost two people,” Fanwo stated.
According to the commissioner, the criminals are aware that Kogi remains hostile territory for such activities.
“I think a lot of them, too, knew that Kogi is a no-go area for them,” he said.
Reiterating the government’s firm stance on not negotiating with criminals, he added, “We didn’t negotiate with any criminal. We are not going to negotiate with any criminal.
“We are not interested in negotiating with any criminal. We are going to deploy all of the powers of our security architecture to always deal with them.”
Fanwo noted that the state government will continue to strengthen its security apparatus to ensure a rapid response to threats across Kogi State.
PUNCH Online had earlier reported that troops of the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army rescued six kidnapped victims from bandits in the Ejiba and Saminaka forests in Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi.
This is contained in a statement released by the Brigade’s spokesperson, Lt. Hassan Abdullahi, on Tuesday in Lokoja.
Abdullahi said that the operation was part of the Nigerian Army’s ongoing efforts to curb banditry and kidnapping in the region.
He explained that the operation, involving coordinated air and ground offensives with support from the Nigeria Police helicopter, led to the interception of the victims.
According to him, the victims were confirmed to have been abandoned by the bandits due to the sustained pressure from the military.
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