Bandits threaten to kill 29 Kaduna students, demand N500m ransom

Bandits have threatened to kill the 29 abducted students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna, still in their custody, following the refusal of the Kaduna State Government to meet their demand of N500 million ransom.

A total of 39 abducted from the school were abducted from the school on March 11. Ten of the students have been released in two batches after some parents have reportedly paid ransom to the bandits.

The Kaduna State Government has insisted that it would not negotiate with the bandits, while the parents pleaded with Governor Nasir el-rufai to negotiate with the abductors.

Spokesman for the parents, Friday Sanni, said at a press conference in Kaduna on Friday that they had received the threats via telephone from the bandits to kill the remaining 29 abductees who have now spent 37 days in captivity.

He said, “We are calling on Nigerians, non-governmental organisations, charity organisations and donors to come to our aid in donating to rescue our children. We don’t know what is happening to them.

“The bandits have threatened to kill our children if we play with them. The other time, they said they will marry the female and kill the men and that a time will come when even if we bring the money, the money will not be useful.”

He said since government claimed security agents rescued the two batches of 10 students earlier released, they should do something about the remaining students.

Sanni also said, “The government has said any parent who negotiates with the bandits will be prosecuted but most of the parents are already arrested emotionally. Our children today are faced with AK 47 guns on them. The faith of our children is what we don’t know; they have spent 36 days without clothing, food, clean drinking water or bathing.”

He said the parents would continue to find a way of reaching out to the bandits.

Sanni said: “We will continue to protest, no matter the number of security forces. The highest is death and we are ready to sacrifice that for our children who have promising futures.”

Sources among the parents said the bandits were earlier given N17 million for the release of all the 39 students following negotiations, “but after they collected the money, they changed their mind, saying it was too small and decided to release only 10 of the students.”

The source said negotiations with the bandits by parents were still going on.

In a statement after the briefing by the parents, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said, “The governor will continue to work hard until banditry is contained, without succumbing to emotional blackmail and gradual politicisation of the unfortunate situation.”.

The commissioner denied reports that Governor El-Rufai threatened to prosecute parents of the abductees for negotiating with the bandits.

The governor had vowed that he would not negotiate nor pay ransom to bandits and that anyone that negotiates with bandits on behalf of the state government would be arrested and prosecuted.

Aruwan said, “Contrary to the mischief in some sections of the media, the bond between the Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and the parents of the abducted students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, and other citizens in captivity, is deep empathy amidst spirited efforts to secure them.

“The governor will continue to work hard until banditry is contained. Some section of the media has been reporting purported threat by the governor to prosecute parents of the abducted students, which is simply false and deeply mischievous.”