The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has revealed that bandits holding abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State threatened to kill the captives if security forces moved closer to their hideout.
Musa disclosed this in a preview of an interview with News Central, shared ahead of its broadcast on the *NC Exclusive* programme scheduled for Friday.
According to the minister, the kidnappers are using the abducted children as leverage to negotiate the release of some of their commanders currently in military custody.
“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 commanders,” he said.
“They threatened that when we wanted to take action against them, if we come any closer, they are going to kill all the kids.”
The abduction occurred on May 15, when gunmen kidnapped 39 pupils and seven teachers from Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, along with victims from two other schools in Esinle, both located in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Addressing broader security concerns, Musa advocated stricter penalties for banditry and kidnapping, including the death penalty, arguing that weak laws have emboldened criminal activities.
“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.