- To release the victims, the terrorists have demanded a total of N1 billion ($620,432) in ransom.
Terrorists who kidnapped over 287 students and staff at schools in Kaduna State have made known their condition to release the abducted persons.
To release the victims, the terrorists have demanded a total of N1 billion ($620,432) in ransom.
A community leader, Jubril Aminu, who acts as a spokesman for the families of the hostages, disclosed the development in an interview with journalists.
He stated that the kidnappers called him on his phone on Tuesday to table their demand and gave a time-frame during which it must be met.
“They made a total of a N1 billion ransom demand for all the pupils, students and staff of the school,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
“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 elected official from the Kuriga Ward municipal council, Idris Ibrahim, 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.”
He added that the security forces were taking “adequate measures” to secure the release of the students.
The Minister of information, 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 ransom.
Within Nigeria had reported that the school children, some older students and members of the school staff, were abducted on March 7 in the town of Kuriga, Kaduna State.
The country has witnessed a surge in large-scale kidnapping incidents, especially in the North, in the last few weeks.
No fewer than 61 people were abducted by suspected terrorists who attacked the Buda community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna on Monday. Bandits also kidnapped 16 Qur’anic students in Sokoto.
In Borno, over 300 Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) were abducted by terrorists.