Published 25th Jul, 2021

By Ibrahim Adeyemi

Abductors of the 148 Islamic pupils in Niger State have refused to release them despite pocketing N50 million ransom, FIJ can report.

In May, the armed group stormed the Salihu Tanko Islamic School in Tegina area of the state, kidnapping dozens of children in their adolescent ages.

The bandits are demanding N150 million as ransom from the parents of the abducted pupils.

“We’ve been hearing from the bandits. They are calling me,” Abubakar Alhassan, the headteacher of the Islamic school told FIJ. “They always call me every day and night. They’re demanding N150 million.”

The parents had first managed to pay N20 million as ransom but the bandits insisted the children would not be freed until N150 million was paid to them.

Two of the parents of the abductees have died of shock. Some of the children who escaped during the horrifying scene of the abductions are traumatised.

As reported by BBC Pidgin, the parents had to sell their property and beg around to raise another N30 million, only for the bandits to detain the ransom delivery man.

Sani Bello, the Governor of the state, had “signed the Special Provisions of the Law against Kidnapping and Cattle Rustling”. Bandits and their collaborators are to die by hanging, according to the newly amended law of the state.

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