Christopher Musa, the minister of defense, has said that the terrorists who kidnapped students and teachers from schools in Oyo State threatened to kill them if security personnel approached their position.
Musa stated this in a teaser clip of an interview with News Central, which was released on Wednesday ahead of its broadcast on the NC Exclusive show on Friday.
He explained that the terrorists were using the youngsters as leverage to win the release of their commanders from military detention.
“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.
