We Didn’t Pay N6.6 Ransom Money – Zamfara Governor, Matawalle Insists

The Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle has declared that there is no truth in the claims that N6.6 million was paid as ransom for 26 girls recently rescued in the state.

The Governor in a statement on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Zailani Bappa submitted that the news circulating that the family of the kidnapped girls paid money to the abductors before their kidnappers released them was entirely false.

He added that his government was fully involved in the rescue of the girls and those saying otherwise were enemies of peace.

It will be recalled that after the girls were released, Lawal Dogara, the village head of Dan-Aji community in Faskari local government area of Katsina state, where some girls were kidnapped on October 13 before they were moved to Zamfara State, argued that N6.6 million was paid to the kidnappers to secure the freedom of the girls.

His reaction came after Governor Matawalle had earlier said his administration successfully rescued 26 people from Katsina State, aged 8 to 12, from bandits without paying a ransom.

Following Dogara’s latest claim, the Zamfara State Governor reacted in a statement on Tuesday by his media aide where he noted that “the story that went viral of the efforts of Governor Bello Mohammed in securing the lives of these young souls and handing them over successfully to Governor Bello Masari was however received with bitterness by enemies of peace and obviously, bitter persons who will wish hell loose than Matawalle’s name to soar high.”

“These misguided persons have since instigated false information that the girls were not rescued by the peace process initiated by Governor Matawalle administration but by ransom paid(N6. 6m)by the families of the released girls.”

“However, the fact remains that the rescued girls were not released on ransom as the genuine families of the girls have since denied the false story.”

“His Excellency, Governor Bello Mohammed has never taken any step in the last one year and five months to score any cheap political goal but simply doing his assigned job which he swore to do.”

“Indeed, any iota of dishonesty in his intent or approach would have woefully failed and put the state in jeopardy as it happened to those leaders preceding him.”

“Governor Bello Mohammed notes with satisfaction that God has always vindicated him from such machinations and will continue to do so as his only aim so far is to discharge his onerous task of securing lives and property of all Zamfarans and not to deceive them.”