'Ransom was paid' - Rtd military officer says after release of 130 kidnapped students

A former Commandant of the Defence Intelligence College, Commodore Kunle Olawunmi (Rtd) has reacted to the release of 130 individuals abducted by gunmen at the Kuriga School early this month.

Speaking in a no-holds-barred interview on Arise TV on Monday, March 25, the ex-military officer said the release wouldn't be possible unless ransom was paid by the federal government to the abductors.

"Ransom was paid, let me just answer that one. Let them take me on or debunk it," he said.

"I know the minds of terrorists, if they say they want N1 billion, they won't give up their price. The children are the price and they have demanded money then you now go to talk to them when they have risked their lives."

"They collected money, they have to buy more arms after this, they have to be stronger," he added.

287 students and teachers from the LEA Primary School and the Government Secondary School, Kuriga were kidnapped with the abductors demanding N1bn for their release.

The hoodlums, who made the demand also gave a deadline that would elapse on March 27, 2024, for the payment of the ransom.

With three days to the deadline, the federal government announced the release of 130 abducted.

Speaking to the press, Government spokesman Abdulaziz Abdulaziz disclosed on Sunday that it “took a lot of backchannel engagement” to release the students.

“[All] of them were released and all of them were fine,” he said, giving the official number of freed students at 137 – much lower than the figure of 286 students and one staff member in most media reports. He claimed the media reports were wrong, but did not give further details.

Earlier on Sunday, Uba Sani, governor of the northwestern state of Kaduna, said in a statement that the hostages were freed after “security operations” coordinated by the country’s national security adviser.

“We … thank all Nigerians who prayed fervently for the safe return of the school children. This is indeed a day of joy,” the governor said.