Defence Minister Christopher Musa has revealed that the armed gang holding abducted pupils and teachers from Oyo State warned they would execute the children if security forces moved closer to their hideout.

Musa, a retired Major General and Nigeria’s Defence Minister, spoke in a televised interview, explaining that the kidnappers were using the schoolchildren as bargaining chips in a wider confrontation with the state. According to him, the bandits demanded the release of some of their detained commanders and saw the abducted pupils as leverage.

He said the threat to kill the hostages was issued when security agencies prepared to launch an operation to free them, forcing commanders to weigh the risks of a direct assault against the safety of the children and their teachers.

The abduction, which drew national outrage, involved dozens of pupils and several teachers seized from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, and two other schools in Esinle, in the Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The attackers reportedly stormed the communities on motorcycles, firing into the air and herding their captives into the surrounding bush before disappearing into remote terrain.

Musa said the military and other security agencies had to act with extreme caution once the bandits’ ultimatum became clear, stressing that the lives of the children remained the overriding priority. He did not disclose operational details but suggested that negotiations and intelligence-led efforts were central to the response.

Beyond the immediate crisis, the minister used the interview to call for tougher sanctions against kidnappers and bandits. He endorsed the death penalty for those convicted of such crimes, arguing that Nigeria’s current legal framework is too lenient and has failed to deter violent gangs.

He maintained that only firm and predictable punishment would convince criminal networks that kidnapping schoolchildren and rural residents carries an unacceptable cost. His comments add to a growing national debate over how far the state should go in confronting banditry, which has devastated farming communities, disrupted education and deepened insecurity across several northern and central states.