Bandits demand N1bn ransom for 287 abducted Kaduna school children, threaten to kill them after 20 days
The Bandits who kidnapped 286 students and staff at a public school in Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State have demanded a sum of N1 billion for their release.
The terrorists also threatened to kill the hostages if the N1 billion is not paid as ransom in 20 days.
According to reports, a community leader, Jubril Aminu, who acts as a spokesman for the families of the hostages, said he received a call on his phone from the kidnappers on Tuesday.
“They made a total of a 1 billion (naira) ransom demand for all the pupils, students and staff of the school,” Aminu said.
“They gave an ultimatum to pay the ransom within 20 days, effective from the date of the kidnap. They said they will kill all the students and the staff if the ransom demand is not met.”
Idris Ibrahim, an elected official from the Kuriga Ward municipal council, also confirmed the ransom demand and the amount.
“Yes, the kidnappers called the community through Jubril Aminu’s number and made the demand,” he said.
“They called from a hidden number but the authorities are working on getting the number,” Ibrahim said
He added that the security forces were taking “adequate measures” to secure the release of the students.
It was gathered that the location where the terrorists asked the residents to deliver the ransom is part of Kwiambana Game Reserve – a dreaded forest that crosses Nigeria’s North-west and North-central regions.
The larger part of the forest is in Dansadau Emirate in Zamfara State. The Dansadau part covers 492 square kilometres out of the 1180 square kilometres of Zamfara State, which is over one-third of the landmass of the state.
While the Kaduna State Government has not issued any statement on the latest development, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday ruled out payment of ransom to secure the release of the pupils and all other victims of kidnapping.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told reporters on Wednesday that Tinubu’s position on the kidnappings in Kuriga was that security forces should secure the hostages’ release without any payment to the kidnappers.
“The president has directed that security agencies must as a matter of urgency ensure that these children and all those who have been kidnapped are brought back to safety and also in the process ensure that not a dime is paid for ransom”, Idris told State House correspondents after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.
