NIGER: Bandits Give Deadline To Kill ‘156’ Students If Ransom Not Paid

Abductors of the Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School students in Niger State have issued an ultimatum to kill ‘156’ students in their custody if the sum of N110m they demanded as ransom was not paid.

The school, located in Tegina town, Rafi Local Government Area (LGA), Niger State was reportedly attacked on Sunday and more than 100 students and members of staff were said to have been abducted and one person was allegedly killed.

The school’s head teacher, Alhaji Abubakar Alhassan, disclosed that the captors had contacted him on Monday evening demanding the said ransom or risk the lives of the students. The bandits reportedly gave Tuesday midnight (yesterday) as the deadline.

Alhassan said he had subsequently forwarded the message to the state government, but was greeted with responses that indicated that the government would not pay the ransom.

Meanwhile, Alhassan said the bandits claimed that 156 students were in their custody, which contradicts the parents’ figure of 136.

About 11 of the students were reportedly freed immediately after the abduction following alleged payment of ransom by their parents.