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Abductors of Niger Islamiyya students demand N110m ransom

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The abductors of pupils of the Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School in Rafi local government area of Niger State have demanded N110 million for the release of the children.

The bandits in a message to the headmaster of the school, Alhaji Abubakar Alhassan, threatened to kill the children if the ransom was not paid by Tuesday midnight.

The hoodlums had earlier on Tuesday freed 11 out of the 200 abducted students.

The children who were between the ages of four and five years were found in a bush by hunters in the state.

Alhassan, who confirmed the development to journalists in Minna, said the bandits declared that there are 156 pupils in their captivity.

He said: “I was baffled when the kidnappers declared to me that the sum of N110 million should be paid to secure the release of the pupils and threatened to kill all the children if the money is not paid by the end of Tuesday.”

READ ALSO: 48 hours after abduction, bandits release 11 out of 200 students of Niger Islamiyya school

The headmaster said the message has been passed to the government and he is awaiting the government’s response on the matter.

The government in an earlier statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mary Noel Berje, ruled out the payment of ransom to kidnappers.

The government, however, said necessary machinery has been put in motion to ensure the safe release of the children.

The statement said: “The government is in the pursuit of the bandits and efforts are being put in place to identify them.

“The number of the kidnapped school children is not fully ascertained. However, efforts by security agencies to secure their release have been intensified.

“We don’t pay ransom to abductors. We are trying to negotiate to see how we can bring the children back safely.”

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