Abducted Tegina kids fall sick, bandits reduce ransom to N150m

Some of the 136 abducted pupils of Tanko Salihu Islamiyya School, Tegina in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State have fallen sick in captivity.
The bandits disclosed the children’s ill health to headmaster of the Islamiyya School, Alhassan Garba Abubakar, who reported the situation to reporters.
The bandits, according to the headmaster, have reduced the demanded ransom for the release of the kids to N150m.
The bandits who had been demanding for N200m said they would accept N150m as ransom for the abducted children.
The children were abducted on May 30, 2021 and have been in captivity since then.
Parents of some of the children have turned public-spirited individuals and groups, visiting churches and mosques in a bid to raise the money for the ransom.
The headmaster said, “The amount raised so far has been a far cry from what the bandits are demanding before they release the pupils.
“I am not part of the committee of the parents going to churches and mosques to solicit for donations for the ransom money to be paid; so I cannot tell you the exact amount of money raised so far.”
Niger State Government has said it will not pay any ransom for the release of the children.
It however said that plans were underway to rescue the children.
Secretary to the Niger State Government, Alhaji Ahmed Matane, said the government would not pay any ransom to the bandits.
Responding to the ill health of the children, the SSG stated the bandits could use any kind of strategy to make the parents pay the ransom.