Kidnappers demand N110m for release of 156 abducted Tegina school pupils

Bandits who abducted pupils of the Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School in Tegina town in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State last Sunday have made contact with management of the institution.

The bandits were said to have contacted the School Headmaster, Alhaji Abubakar Alhassan at about 4 pm yesterday, asking him to pay N110million as ransom for the release of the abductees

Alhassan, who disclosed this to THISDAY yesterday in a telephone interview, said the bandits said 156 pupils were being held by them.

According to him, the kidnappers threatened that if they did not pay the ransom by the end of today (Wednesday) they would kill all the children.

Alhassan said the message had been passed on to the government.

THISDAY learnt from another source that some public-spirited people within the community have started raising money for the bandits.

Meanwhile, the Niger State Government has said that it had set the necessary machinery in motion to ensure the safe release of the school children.

It, however, ruled out the payment of ransom to the kidnappers.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, Mary Noel Berje quoted the state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso as also saying that

“Government is on the pursuit of the bandits and efforts are being put in place to identify them.”

According to the statement “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 them back safely,” the statement quoted the deputy governor as saying.

Describing the situation as unfortunate, the deputy governor disclosed that the Islamiyya school has three components – Nursery, primary and junior secondary school.

He added that the state government had made contact with some of the identified parents of the kidnapped children and assured them of the safe return of their children