Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic students freed after payment of N10m ransom

They have reunited with their families after 28 days in captivity.

In a twist of fate, the parents and friends of the 121 students of Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna, on Friday went down on their knees seeking the face of God to intervene in their ordeal and rescue the abductees.

Confirming the release of the victims, the public relations officer (PRO) of the institution, Ibrahim Shehu, said “nine students and lecturers have been retrieved and all the victims were subsequently reunited with their families.”

On whether ransom was paid before their release, the PRO said: “I may not know since negotiations were carried out between the abductors and the families of the victims.

“All I can tell you is that they have been released and immediately reunited with their families after medical examinations.

However, a family source said the victims appeared gaunt and traumatised.

The source said a cumulative ransom of N10 million was paid to secure their release.

It was gathered that the abductors initially demanded a N10 million ransom on each of the nine victims.

Said the source: “We paid N10 million to get our people back. The kidnappers asked for N10 million on each of the victims initially. After a lot of plea, they reduced it to N2.5 million each.

“Even after then, we pleaded with them further. We raised N6.5 million and paid, thinking they were going to release them, but they didn’t. At the end, they asked us to look for an additional N3.5 million to make it N10 million for all of them.

“So, that was what we paid eventually. We paid the N10 million in two tranches before they were released. We thank God they are back safely. That is all I can tell you.”

Gunmen had attacked the institution on June 10 and took students and staff members.

A student was killed during the raid.

Spokesman for the school Abdullahi Shehu confirmed the release, which he said came about “after their parents and relatives negotiated with the bandits.”

Baptist Convention President leads prayers for release of 121 abducted students

Elsewhere in the state, the President of the Nigeria Baptist Convention, the Reverend Israel Akanji, led other Christian clerics and parents of the abducted students of Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna in prayer to seek God’s intervention in rescuing the kidnapped.

About 145 students were initially abducted when the bandits struck at Mararaba Damishi in Chikun Local Government area on Monday.

The security operatives who engaged the bandits managed to rescue 28 of the students while two soldiers were killed in the process.

The bandits have not yet asked for ransom. But they contacted the management of the school, demanding 30 bags of rice, 20 bags of beans and 10 kegs of palm oil to feed the captives.

The Vice-Principal of the school, Wakili Madugu, told Nigeria Info Abuja 95.1FM on Thursday that the abductors rejected nine bags of rice and other food items offered by the school.

Attendants at yesterday’s prayer session asked God to touch the hearts of the abductors of the students to release them unconditionally.

Speaker after speaker encouraged the parents and the school management to be strong and not to lose hope over the situation.

President Nigerian Baptist Convention Rev. Israel Akanji, said Baptists all over the world were also praying simultaneously for God’s intervention.

He said he spoke with Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on the matter and “he made a promise and I am trusting God that he will keep to his words in ensuring the release of these students.”

He added: “The government is doing its best, but its best is not good enough.”

He said the church would not be intimidated and “will continue to contribute to the growth and development of education in Nigeria and God’s divine intervention will take control of the situation.”

Also speaking, the Rev John Joseph Hayab of the Kaduna State branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), urged Christians to be united.

He said: “Our governor is governing with propaganda. The government is intimidating us the Christians. Let the government be responsible. Our government is full of lies. You cannot lie in reality.

“You cannot govern people by dividing them. Let the government be sincere and unite people and not divide them. Nowhere is safe. We will not be intimidated. If the government is putting these bandits on the run, they will not have the mind to even ask for food.”

The President Kaduna Baptist Conference and Proprietor of the Bethel Baptist High School, Rev Ishaya Adamu Jangado, said: “We are in trouble in this country. We are in days of evil and trouble. Christians in Kaduna are under agony and pain.

“Over 400 Christians were kidnapped from January till date. We did everything government asked us to do. They are sinking us into economic danger day by day.”

Earlier, in her short speech amidst tears, the principal of the school, Mrs Florence Tuga, who was rushed to the hospital on the day the students were kidnapped, urged mothers to pray touching their breast and womb and seek for God’s intervention.

Pastors’ wives are expected to converge again today for another session of prayers.

Abduction of my constituents has to stop, Rep Barde cries out

Reacting to the continued abductions in the area, the House of Representatives member from Chikun/Kajuru, Yakubu Umar Barde, said the situation was worrisome.

Barde in a statement in Abuja said 16 persons were kidnapped from Ungwan Gimbiya area of Kaduna State on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis on Thursday less than 48 hours after students of Bethel Baptist College in the same local government were abducted.

The lawmaker said the increasing cases of abduction and killing of innocent citizens in his constituency over the last six months was worrisome.

He called for concerted efforts to stop the trend.

He said: “All hands should be on the deck to assist the government find a lasting solution to this menace. While we need to help, Government should listen and be willing to implement ideas that are proffered by well-meaning citizens.

“The present administration should not shy away from seeking foreign assistance to combat insecurity, because it is not peculiar to Nigeria. But our body language has always been non-challant.

“As predicted by development partners, failure to end the activities of bandits, kidnappers and insurgents may derail the country. And imagine the spiral effects of non-responsiveness of the relevant authorities to the clarion calls made not only by me, but well-meaning Nigerians on the need to ensure safety of ordinary Nigerian across the country.”