Abduction: El-Rufai under fire over bombardment comment

A handful of social media users have slammed the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over his recent comment to bombard bandits who kidnapped 29 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, even if some of the students would lose their lives.

El-Rufai in a webinar organised by the Africa Leadership Group and hosted by Pastor of Trinity House Church, Ituah Ighodalo, on Thursday, had said the state government was ready to give up the lives of the students in planned bandits’ bombardment.

He said, “We know it is risky, we know in the process we may lose some of the abductees but it is a price we have to pay.”

This comment, however, has elicited different reactions from many Nigerians on social media.

Yusuf Angye on Facebook advised, “Consult bigger and better minds with experience and expertise in this kind of operation so that parents won’t watch their children shattered in pieces”

Mython Chijioke believed that the governor should not have made such a comment to the public as he said, “Even if you wanted to risk it, it’s not everything you say to the public.”

Hajjiabintu Babashehu said, “Now that the students have been freed, you and your armies should go and bombard them to avoid further occurrences since you know where they are, period."

However, some other Nigerians questioned the governor concerning his stance.

Stella Oby Chimex asked, “It’s a price we pay for who and what?”

@realchado on Twitter, however, agreed with the governor as he tweeted, “As bad as this sounds, I think it’s better than paying for ransom.

“It will solve the problem in a long run provided the government is consistent with it.”