The spokesperson for the Senate, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, has confirmed that the Senate has established an ad-hoc committee to investigate the critical circumstances surrounding the Kebbi school abduction.
He noted that preliminary briefings from state authorities and security agencies indicate that soldiers posted to guard the school left their duty post shortly before the attackers struck.
The committee will also examine the events leading to the death of Brigadier General Musa Uba, a senior officer involved in anti-banditry operations, a death that has added further pressure on the military’s operational performance.
Adaramodu spoke on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, amid growing public suspicion over the nature of recent rescue operations, especially following the mass kidnappings in the North-West.
He emphatically dismissed recent claims that the Federal Government paid ransom to secure the release of schoolchildren recently abducted in Kebbi and Niger states.
The Senator, who represents Ekiti South senatorial district, insisted that the government did not make any financial settlement to the abductors, even while acknowledging that Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, had confirmed that security operatives contacted bandits for the release of Kwara kidnap victims.
Adaramodu argued that any contact with kidnappers is not necessarily indicative of ransom payment, noting that security agencies are not obligated to disclose operational details to the public.
“From our side at the National Assembly, we believe the Federal Government did not pay any ransom to anybody. If there is any contact with the bandits, there are various types—it can be forceful, persuasive or a mix of both,” he said.
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The lawmaker’s comments come as Nigeria grapples with a renewed wave of school kidnappings, prompting heightened scrutiny. Human rights groups and community stakeholders have long questioned the lack of transparency, particularly when victims return without evidence of armed confrontation or arrests.
Responding to concerns that no images or reports of captured gunmen were released after the latest rescues, Adaramodu cautioned against assuming that security forces did not engage the abductors. He explained that criminals often abandon hostages once they realize that security operatives are closing in.
“If you have not seen the corpses of abductors or them being handcuffed, that does not negate the possibility of intense confrontation,” he said. “When they sense superior firepower, they run and leave the victims behind,” the lawmaker added.
He stressed that while the National Assembly will continue to demand accountability, security agencies are not expected to reveal tactical information. “Their mandate is to rescue victims safely. How they execute that cannot be in the public domain,” he affirmed.
