Asia, Wife of governor of Kaduna, Nasir el-Rufai says she will prefer to die than paying ransom to kidnappers if she is abducted.
Speaking on Wednesday while addressing participants at a peace and security training organised for women by Equal Access International (EAI), Asia said she supported the position of the Kaduna state government on not paying ransom to kidnappers.
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El-Rufai has maintained that his government will not pay ransom to bandits, as such actions encourage more criminal activities.
“We must sacrifice to bring this (kidnapping) to an end. I am ready to die in the hands of kidnappers if it will bring peace to this country,” she said.
“For as long as you continue to pay ransom, it is like you are adding kerosene to fire. You are giving bandits, kidnappers money for ammunition to continue to haunt you.
“We should not pay ransom. This is my personal opinion. I have said it before and I will say it again. If I am kidnapped, don’t pay any ransom. Rather, pray for me that if it is death, I go in a good way, and if I am going to be released, that I am not violated.”
According to her, as long as kidnappers are paid ransom, they will not change.
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“Collectively, as a country we have to say ‘no’. We cannot continue to give them our hard-earned money to buy weapons and drugs to kill and maim our children,” the governor’s wife said.
“If we don’t put a stop to this, they will destroy us all. They will even kidnap the person that takes the ransom to them.
“You will see that some of them you even give the ransom and they still kill the person. So, you have lost twice.”
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