The armed assailants who seized 286 students and staff from a school in Kaduna State last week have demanded a total of N1 Billion for their release.
This was confirmed by Jubril Aminu, a community leader and spokesperson for the families of the abducted students.
Nearly 300 school children, some older students, and members of the school staff were kidnapped on March 7 in Kuriga town, Kaduna State, in the first mass abduction in the country since 2021. A few of the Kuriga students successfully escaped unhurt.
Aminu said the kidnappers called his mobile phone 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.”
An official from the Kuriga Ward municipal council, Idris Ibrahim confirmed the ransom demand.
“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 added.
He explained that he believed the security forces were taking “adequate measures” to secure the release of the students.
On Wednesday, Governor Uba Sani received the Minister of State for Education, Hon. Yusuf T. Sununu, who arrived Kaduna in a show of solidarity over the Kuriga school children’s abduction. He assured the state government that more resources will be deployed to help with psychosocial support to victims and parents
Samuel Aruwan, commissioner of internal security and home affairs in Kaduna State, did not immediately respond to inquiries for comment on the kidnappers’ demands.
Yesterday, Nigeria’s information minister, Mohammed Idris Malagi, told reporters that Tinubu’s position on the kidnappings in Kuriga was that security forces should secure the captives’ release without any payment to the abductors.
“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.”
Legislators have imposed jail terms for anyone found paying a ransom to free a hostage as kidnappings in Nigeria became more frequent.