Arewa Forum Decries Payment Of Ransom To Bandits

• “Our only regret is that millions of naira were alleged to have been paid to the bandits”

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has expressed its opposition to the payment of ransom to bandits to secure the release of abducted persons.

Emmanuel Yawe, national publicity secretary of the ACF, made the position of the forum known in Kaduna on Saturday.

As gathered by EKO HOT BLOG, the ACF expressed gratitude tó Nigerians who put their lives on the line in the negotiating process to free those held hostage by bandits.

Recall that students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna state, were on Friday reunited with their families.

The students were abducted when gunmen attacked their school on March 12.

Although 39 of them were kidnapped during the attack, 10 were earlier released while the remaining students regained their freedom on Wednesday.

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Commenting on the development, the ACF said: “We thank God for saving their lives and rejoice with their families both immediate and extended.

“Our only regret is that millions of naira were alleged to have been paid to the bandits before they granted freedom to the kidnapped students.”

The ACF appealed to the bandits holding other innocent people to set them free without further delay.

It noted that spilling the blood of hapless citizens was not the right way to express their grouse.

“Whatever may be the grievances of the kidnappers against society, spilling innocent blood will not be a solution,” the ACF said.