Bandits release another 15 Kaduna Baptist students, hold 65

Another set of 15 students from Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi, Kaduna have breathed air of freedom more than two weeks after bandits abducted them from the school along with their colleagues.

Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Joseph Hayab, disclosed this on Sunday, adding that the students were released on Saturday night by the bandits.

Bandits had on July 5, 2021 invaded the school located some few kilometers away from Kaduna metropolis and abducted 121 students.

The Kaduna CAN chairman said a total of 65 students were still in captivity.

Hayab said there would be no reunion ceremony for the freed students, adding that their parents would only pick them up and go home.

The bandits had said that the students would be released in batches when they freed the first batch of 28 on July 25, 2021, after they were said to have collected a ransom of N100m.

After the release of the 28 students in July, the bandits were said to have demanded another N80m for the release of the remaining 80 students.

It was learnt that an undisclosed amount of money was paid before the 15 students were freed.

President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Israel Akanji, had earlier said no ransom will be paid for the release of the students.