The Senate has affirmed that the Federal Government did not pay any ransom for the release of victims kidnapped in recent incidents in Kebbi and Niger states.
Senate spokesperson, Senator Yemi Adaramodu made the statement during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, on Friday, addressing concerns over the lack of visible evidence of confrontations between security operatives and kidnappers.
“From our perspective at the National Assembly, no ransom was paid to anyone.
“Contact with abductors can take many forms, sometimes through negotiation, other times through the use of force, ” he said.
The rising trend of school kidnappings has fueled speculation about the government’s handling of such crises.
Human rights groups and community leaders have repeatedly called for transparency, arguing that opaque rescue operations create uncertainty, especially when victims are released without public explanations.
Adaramodu, however, stressed that the public should not interpret the absence of visual proof of military engagement—such as captured bandits or evidence of combat—as a lack of action.
“If you haven’t seen the kidnappers being apprehended, that does not mean there was no serious engagement.
“Often, when abductors sense that superior force is approaching, they abandon their captives and flee, ” he said.
He added that it is neither customary nor advisable for security agencies to disclose operational details.
“The specifics of how the military rescues victims, how many rounds were fired or guns lost, cannot and will not be made public.
”What matters is that the victims were safely brought back,” Adaramodu said.
The recent kidnappings in Kebbi and Niger states have intensified calls for a review of Nigeria’s intelligence and early-warning systems.
In response, the Senate has established an ad-hoc committee to probe the circumstances surrounding the abduction of students from a girls’ secondary school in Kebbi last week.
According to Adaramodu, initial briefings suggest that soldiers assigned to guard the school had reportedly vacated their posts shortly before the attackers struck. “Minutes after the guards left, the assailants kidnapped our children,” he noted.
The committee will also investigate the death of Brigadier General Musa Uba, who was involved in operations targeting banditry, an incident that has raised questions about the operational readiness of security forces in volatile regions.
Adaramodu reiterated that while the Senate seeks accountability, it also supports the armed forces’ efforts to combat insecurity. “Our focus is on rescuing our people—our children, parents, and worshippers.
The success of operations is measured by the safe return of the victims,” he concluded.
