The wife of the Governor of Kaduna State, Hajiya Asia El-Rufai says she is ready to die at the hands of kidnappers rather than pay ransom.
She added that not paying ransom should also begin the process of bringing peace back to the country.
Mrs El-Rufai who is a lecturer at Baze University, Abuja, said this while addressing participants of a peace and security training organised by Equal Access International (EAI) in Kaduna.
She insisted that should she be kidnapped, no ransom should be paid to her abductors adding that women have a great role to play in achieving a peaceful Nigeria.
According to her, “We must sacrifice to bring this to an end and I am ready to die in the hands of kidnappers if it will bring peace to this country.
“For as along as you continue to pay ransom, it is like you are adding kerosine to fire, you are giving bandits, kidnappers money for ammunition to continue to haunt you. We should not pay ransom, this is my personal opinion.
“I have said it before and I will say it again, if I am kidnapped, don’t pay any ransom. Rather pray for me that if it is death, I go in a good way and if I am going to be released that I am not violated.
“As long as we are giving them the money, they will hurt people around, they will not change. Collectively as a country, we have to say no. We cannot continue to give them our hard-earned money to buy weapons and drugs to kill and maim our children. If we don’t put a stop to this, they will destroy us all. They will even kidnap the person that takes the ransom to them.”
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