Abductors of Islamiyya school pupils reduce ransom to N150m

Abductors of 156 pupils of the Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School in Tegina, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, have reduced the N200 million ransom earlier placed for their release, to N150m.

The bandits had initially made a ransom demand of N110m but later hiked it to N200m when the parents could not come up with the money, before reducing it to the N150m.

The Headmaster of the school, Alhaji Abubakar Alhassan, who confirmed the latest development while interacting with newsmen on Tuesday, said the community had managed to contribute N11.5m and offered it to the abductors but they rejected it, only to inform them of the new reduction.

Read also: For delaying payment, abductors of Islamiyya school pupils increase ransom to N200m

“We are pleading with the federal and state governments to come to the assistance of these parents ” Alhassan said.

“Only the government can afford the amount they are demanding but the government has insisted they are not going to ransom to bandits.”

Alhassan added that the last time the bandits called, they allowed him to speak to one of the victims.

“They allowed me to speak with one of the girls and she told me they are doing fairly well. She also said they were being fed with one piece of Kulikuli (groundnut cake) daily.

“We are calling on the government to come to our aid to rescue the children. So far, only the Chairman of Rafi LGA, Ismaila Modibo, visited the parents and the school and assured us that the government will do something.”

By Isaac Dachen…

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