Oyo Abduction: Bandits threatened to kill pupils if troops moved closer — Defence Minister

Christopher Musa, the Minister of Defense, revealed that the kidnappers of the students and staff abducted from schools in Oyo State issued an ultimatum to kill their hostages if the security forces moved closer to where they held them hostage.

Musa made this revelation in an interview preview clip aired by News Central on Wednesday, ahead of the full interview scheduled for Friday on the NC Exclusive show.

The minister added that the kidnappers were using the children as pawns to set their leaders held in military detention free.

“For whatever reason, they are looking for leverage because we have some of their commanders with us and they feel taking these kids and holding them to ransom will make us release their commander.

“And now they’re threatening when we wanted to take action against them that if we come any closer, they’re going to kill all the kids,” he said.

The minister’s 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, in the Oriire Local Government Area of the state, on May 15.

Speaking further on measures to curb banditry and kidnapping, Musa backed the death penalty for perpetrators, saying weak laws had emboldened criminals.

“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 added.