Nigeria's Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has revealed that the bandits holding pupils and teachers abducted from schools in Oyo State have threatened to kill the captives should security forces move closer to their location.
Musa disclosed this in a preview clip of an interview with News Central, released on Wednesday ahead of its broadcast on the NC Exclusive programme on Friday.
According to him, the kidnappers are using the children as bargaining chips to secure the release 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 commander," Musa said.
"And now they're threatening when we wanted to take action against them, if we come any closer, they're going to kill all the kids," he added.
Speaking on broader efforts to tackle banditry and kidnapping across the country, Musa threw his weight behind capital punishment for offenders, arguing that lenient laws have emboldened criminal gangs.
"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 said.
The minister's remarks come nearly eight weeks after gunmen stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, along with two other schools in Esinle, in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting 39 pupils and seven teachers on May 15.
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