BIG STORY

Parents To El-Rufai: Negotiate Now Before Bandits Kill Our Abducted Children

Published

5 years ago

March 25, 2021

Parents of the 39 abducted students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in the Mando Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State have appealed to the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to negotiate with the bandits to secure the release of their wards.

The parents expressed grave worry that over two weeks after their children were kidnapped by gunmen who stormed their hostels, the students were yet to be released.

It was reported that the bandits attacked the school on March 12 and kidnapped 23 female and 16 male students. The gunmen later released a video and demanded N500 million to free the students.

Security forces had also said they rescued 180 of the abductees but 39 students are still in the den of the kidnappers.

Speaking on Thursday, a member of staff of the school and a representative of the affected parents, Sani Friday, said the parents are afraid bandits may kill their children if the government deploys force.

He spoke while featuring on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ programme.

Friday, whose two daughters were amongst the students in captivity, appealed to the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to adjust his no-payment-of-ransom stance to facilitate the release of the students.

He said, “It is this state governor who sometimes ago told the entire Kaduna State that if it costs him to pay bandits to stop killing citizens of Kaduna State, he will pay them.

“Now, the state government came out even before the abduction of our students in the Federal College of Forestry that it is wrong to negotiate with bandits and that he is not going to negotiate.

“After that statement, this incident happened and it is based on that statement that the government is standing that it will not negotiate. But he (El-Rufai) made a statement before that he can do anything for the bandits to stop killing, so we want him to do something.

“One of the fears we have is that if the government feels that they can use force to bring out these children, it will be very disastrous because these bandits are well-equipped, they may decide to eliminate the children if they discover that the government is trying to use aggressive force on them because our children are being used as shields.

“The first way we want the government to go about this is to negotiate even if they want to put any other security measure on the ground, it should be after the negotiation.”

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BIG STORY

DSS Arrests Man Over Online Campaign For Military Coup

Published

12 hours ago

October 29, 2025

PorscheClassy News

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Innocent Chukwuma in Oyigbo, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for allegedly using his social media platform to call on the military to overthrow the Nigerian government.

Chukwuma, who operates an account on X (formerly Twitter) with the handle @TheAgroman, reportedly posted messages advocating a coup and urging soldiers to “suspend the Nigerian government.”

In one of his posts, he wrote:

“A coup in Nigeria is needed. Dispose of APC, suspend the Nigerian Government, and join the AES. That is all we need now.”

He further claimed that “only the military can reset this country,” adding that the “bastard in Aso Rock has basically sold this country to the West.”

Security sources told TheCable that the suspect is currently in DSS custody and is cooperating with investigators.

Post Views: 75

BIG STORY

BREAKING: Maryam Sanda’s Pardon Revoked, Death Sentence Reduced To 12 Years Imprisonment

Published

13 hours ago

October 29, 2025

PorscheClassy News

The death sentence of Maryam Sanda, who was convicted in 2017 for the murder of her husband, has been commuted to 12 years’ imprisonment.

Sanda’s name was listed under the “reduced terms of imprisonment” and “sentence list” released on Wednesday by Lateef Fagbemi, the attorney-general of the federation (AGF).

More to come…

Post Views: 274

BIG STORY

JUST IN: Tinubu Reviews Pardon List, Excludes Drug, Human Trafficking, Kidnapping Convicts

Published

14 hours ago

October 29, 2025

PorscheClassy News

President Bola Tinubu has directed that individuals convicted of kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and unlawful possession of firearms be removed from the list of beneficiaries of the federal government’s prerogative of mercy.

The decision, according to a statement released on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, followed Tinubu’s consultations with the Council of State and a review of public opinion on the matter.

“President Tinubu has ordered the exclusion of persons convicted for kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking, fraud, and unlawful possession of firearms from the list of beneficiaries under the federal government’s prerogative of mercy,” the statement read in part.

“This decision was reached after due consultations with the Council of State and in response to concerns raised by members of the public.”

The move is understood to be part of a broader effort to strengthen public confidence in the government’s justice system and ensure that acts considered severe threats to national security are not treated with leniency.

The prerogative of mercy, often exercised by the president on the recommendation of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Prerogative of Mercy, allows for the pardon or sentence reduction of certain categories of prisoners.

Tinubu’s review comes amid growing public concern over the inclusion of convicts with serious offences in recent state and federal pardon lists, a development that had sparked criticism from rights advocates and legal experts.

Further details on the revised list of beneficiaries are expected to be released in the coming days.

Post Views: 286