The Senate has dismissed claims that the Federal Government paid ransom to secure the release of victims kidnapped in recent attacks in Kebbi and Niger states.
Speaking on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, the Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, described such claims as unfounded, insisting that no ransom was paid to the abductors.
His remarks followed widespread public concerns over the absence of visible exchanges between security operatives and the kidnappers during the rescue operations. The increasing wave of school abductions across the country has further fueled speculation over whether ransom payments are secretly being made despite repeated official denials.
Civil society organisations and community leaders have also expressed worries over what they describe as a lack of transparency in some rescue missions, particularly when victims regain freedom without clear details of how they were rescued.
However, Adaramodu, who represents Ekiti South Senatorial District, explained that interactions with kidnappers may take different forms and that operational details are often restricted for security reasons.
“From our position at the National Assembly, we are convinced that the Federal Government did not pay any ransom. Any form of contact with abductors can be through several means, whether by force or by persuasion,” he said.
He further cautioned against concluding that there was no military engagement simply because no images of arrested criminals or casualties were released. According to him, abductors may abandon their captives and flee once they detect the approach of superior security forces.
Reacting to the recent abduction of students from a girls’ secondary school in Kebbi State, Adaramodu confirmed that the Senate has set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the security lapses surrounding the incident.
