Gunmen responsible for the abduction of 286 students and staff members from a school in northern Nigeria last week have communicated their demand for a ransom totaling 1 billion naira ($620,432) for the safe release of the hostages, as conveyed by a spokesperson representing the families of the captives and a local council member to Reuters.
The incident occurred on March 7 in Kuriga, situated in the northwestern region of Kaduna State, marking the first significant mass kidnapping in the country since 2021. Jubril Aminu, a community leader acting on behalf of the hostages’ families, disclosed receipt of a communication from the kidnappers on Tuesday, articulating their monetary stipulation.
“They made a total of a 1 billion (naira) ransom demand for all the pupils, students, and staff of the school,” Aminu stated, further emphasizing the perpetrators’ ultimatum for the ransom to be fulfilled within 20 days from the date of the abduction, with severe consequences threatened in the event of non-compliance.
Idris Ibrahim, an elected official representing the Kuriga Ward municipal council, corroborated the ransom demand and specified its amount. “Yes, the kidnappers called the community through Jubril Aminu’s number and made the demand,” Ibrahim confirmed, noting efforts underway by authorities to trace the origin of the call.
Acknowledging the situation, Ibrahim affirmed that security measures were being diligently implemented to secure the safe release of the abducted students. However, Samuel Aruwan, the commissioner of internal security and home affairs in Kaduna State, did not provide an immediate response to Reuters’ inquiries regarding the kidnappers’ demands.
Requests for comments from spokespersons representing President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian army remained unanswered, while Mohammed Idris, the country’s information minister, relayed Tinubu’s stance on the Kuriga kidnappings during a press briefing on Wednesday. Tinubu’s position advocated for the security forces to orchestrate the hostages’ liberation without succumbing to any ransom payments to the abductors.
(Reuters)
