Presidency: Tinubu Has Declared “Zero-Tolerance Policy On Negotiation” With Bandits

Presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala has declared that the federal government did not pay ransom or negotiate with terrorists.

According to him, the Tinubu’s administration has decided not to two the path of his predecessors whose governments negotiate with terrorists, saying doing so would amount to “financing terrorism without knowing it.”

Bwala spoke on Channels Television Sunrise Daily on Wednesday amid revelations that the federal government is negotiating and paying terrorists and bandits huge sums for them to release their captives.

The magazine recalls that a bandit leader had in a recent video claimed that ransom was paid by the government before the 25 girls abducted on November 17 from the Government Girls Comprehensive secondary school in Kebbi state’s Maga town, were released.

Not a few Nigerians have slammed the government of fueling banditry by allegedly paying the criminals to release their victims.

Reacting Bwala said there was  time the federal government was negotiating with the bandits, he said the situation is no longer so because doing so would meant the government is inadvertently supporting the bandits to continue perpetuate their evil act, saying the administration has “a zero tolerance’ for negotiation. .

He said: “When they said both states and the Federal Government can be in a situation where they will have to negotiate because if your duty is to preserve the life of people and citizens of Nigeria are in danger and negotiation is the only way to save them … you have to do all that you need to do to save them at that time.

“Instead of targeting those sponsoring them, ransom payments only allow terrorists to buy more weapons. The Federal Government does not, and will not, tolerate the idea of negotiation.”