Crimes

El-Rufai: Buhari wasn’t aware of terrorists’ threat to kidnap him

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said President Muhammadu Buhari was not aware of the terrorists’ threat to abduct him until he informed the President.

The abductors of the March 28 Abuja-Kaduna-bound train passengers had in a video released over the weekend threatened to abduct Buhari and El-Rufai.

The governor, while speaking in a live media chat on Wednesday in Kaduna, said Buhari was not aware of the abduction threat until he told the President during their meeting on Sunday.

He added that he has since been calling for the bombing of the terrorists’ camps, saying it’s the solution to the worsening insecurity in the country.

Governor El-Rufai said: “I have been warned to be careful including my families too. How can we be in a country with soldiers, police, and Federal Government but some terrorists will be threatening to abduct the President?

“If in the past those in government think this is a joke and see it as only happening in Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger, it’s now at home and we must rise up to deal with these people. This is why I met with the President on Sunday and told him about these problems.

“I also told him about the video because up to that day he was not even aware. I told him and the following day Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, also confirmed to him that he saw the video too so as to take action.

“The President assured me that he met with the service chiefs three to four days before our meeting and that he gave them a clear directive to have a comprehensive military operation to deal with those people.

“We hope, God’s willing the soldiers and police that were given the directives will hasten up to finish the job. We don’t have to wait until the terrorists strike before we respond,” El-Rufai said.

The governor further expressed worry over the rising insecurity in the country, adding: “We hope the Federal Government will do the right thing.”

The Star