[News] Suspected Bandits who abducted 156 pupils in Niger state allegedly detain ransom courier, demand six motorbikes and N4.6m balance

The suspected bandits who abducted 156 pupils of Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School, Tegina, in Rafi local government area of Niger State in May this year (read here), have abducted the courier sent to deliver the N30 million ransom they demanded for the release of the pupils, insisting that the ransom was short of N4.6 million.

 

Punch reports that parents of the abducted students had raised N30 million and handed it over to one Kassimu Tegina to deliver to the bandits in exchange for their children. The bandits however held on to Tegina claiming that the money sent was short of the amount demanded.

 

While recounting their experience, one of the affected parents said

 

“They said as a punishment we must buy six motorcycles and complete the money. We struggled to raise the N30m and we have exhausted our goodwill to raise the N30m. So, we are confused; they (bandits) are playing on our intelligence. We are going through hell in their hands”.

 

Confirming the recent development, the Head Teacher of the School, Malam Alhassan Garba Abubakar, said that the N30 million was delivered to the bandits “But we are yet to see the person we sent with the money and the children.

 

“They demanded six Honda motorcycles that cost N490,000 each. That means we need another N6million with the N4.6 million they claimed was short of the N30 million delivered as the latest ransom,” he added.

 

Alhassan further said the parents had initially raised N20 million as ransom, with a negotiation fee of N5million, making it a total sum of N25 million which was delivered as ransom, but the bandits said it went into wrong hands.

“They (bandits) said we should bring another N30 million before they can release the pupils. After struggling, we were able to get the money and we sent Kassimu.

“I spoke With them today (yesterday) and they said we should complete the money and make six new motorcycles available to them before they can release them. We are tired; we have resigned to God because we cannot raise any other money again”, the Head Teacher lamented