Gunmen Demand 1 Billion Naira Ransom for 287 Kidnapped Nigerian School Children
Abuja, Nigeria
Gunmen who recently kidnapped over 250 pupils in Nigeria have now demanded a ransom of 1 billion naira ($621,848), and have vowed to kill all the students if their demands are not met, according to a community member.
High-Stakes Ransom Demand
The abduction, which took place on March 7, has brought unimaginable suffering to Kuririga, a small village in the Kaduna state of Nigeria. Desperate for financial gain and seeking retribution, the kidnappers, armed with menacing weaponry, contacted a community member with a grim ultimatum on Tuesday. They demanded a staggering 1 billion naira, giving authorities a three-week deadline to comply with their terms, warning of deadly consequences upon failure.
The community member, Aminu Jibril, resolute and shaken by the communication, disclosed the harrowing details, saying, “They called me from a hidden number yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon at around 16 minutes past 12, and demanded 1 billion naira ($621,848) as a ransom for the students. They said [the ultimatum] will only last for three weeks or 20 days from the date they kidnapped the children and if there’s no action from the government, they will kill all of them.”
A Message of Retribution
According to Jibril, the abductors justified their actions as a response to the government and security agencies’ deadly strikes on their gang members. The kidnappers, fueled by revenge, selected innocent children as their bargaining chips, using their lives to pressure the authorities.
Tragically, it appears they gained access to Jibril’s contact information through the head of the school’s junior secondary section, who was seized alongside the students during that ominous morning raid.
A Wave of Terror
More than 300 students were abducted from the LEA Primary and Secondary School in Kuriga village, located in the Chikun district of Kaduna state, by armed bandits on motorcycles. While some students were subsequently rescued, a shocking 287 remain captive, with around 100 from the primary school and the rest from the secondary school.
Governor Uba Sani has pledged to prioritize the safe return of the kidnapped students, making every effort to satisfy the abductors’ demands. Sadly, during the attack, a courageous member of the community who bravely confronted the kidnappers lost their life.
A Disturbing Pattern
Kaduna state, bordering the Nigerian capital of Abuja, has experienced repeated incidents of kidnappings-for-ransom orchestrated by bandits. The region has seen a series of mass abductions in recent years, further diminishing the hope of safety for its inhabitants. In 2021, a private secondary school in the same district suffered the kidnapping of 140 students by armed individuals. Months prior, gunmen in Chikun’s Kasarami village seized around 20 students from a private university, leading to the tragic death of five students when the ransom ultimatum expired.
