Jubilation: Niger State Govt receives 100 freed Islamiyya students
Over 100 students from an Islamic seminary have arrived at the Niger State Government House after being released after three months in the hands of kidnappers.
Their kidnappers had released them late Thursday night, and the authorities had made plans to transport them to Minna, the capital.
They were received by their parents and government officials upon their arrival, who were all concerned for their safety.
The gunmen had abducted the students from their school in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State on May 30.
A few days later, they demanded a ransom of ₦110 million and threatened to kill the victims but 11 of them were released hours later, according to the Niger State Government.
The governor of the North-Central state, Sani Bello had earlier ruled out the option of paying a ransom to the abductors.
“Even though we have ruled out payment of ransom, it is time for the government to take decisive measures towards ending the bandits’ activities that are forcefully changing the lives of the people, especially in the rural areas,” he said during a meeting with the parents of the abductees.
On May 30, gunmen seized the pupils from their school in Niger State’s Rafi Local Government Area.
They wanted a ransom of 110 million dollars and threatened to kill the victims a few days later, but according to the Niger State Government, 11 of them were released hours later.
Sani Bello, the governor of the North-Central state, had previously ruled against paying a ransom to the kidnappers.
During a meeting with the abductees’ parents, he said, “Even though we have ruled out ransom payment, it is time for the government to take serious measures toward halting the bandits’ activities that are forcibly affecting the lives of the people, especially in rural areas.”
Upon their release, the headteacher, Abubakar Alhassan, did not say if any ransom was paid.
The circumstances of their release are also yet to be clear.
