Kidnappers of the students of Greenfield University, Kaduna have threatened to kill the remaining students in their custody, if a ransom of N100m is not paid on or before Tuesday (today).
Leader of the bandits, one Sani Jalingo, issued the threat while speaking in an interview on the Hausa service of the Voice of America yesterday.
He insisted that a ransom of N100 million and 10 motorcycles must be provided for the students to stay alive.
Recall that 23 students and a member of staff of the privately-owned university, located along the Kaduna-Abuja highway were abducted from the school on April 20, 2021. Few days later, five of the students were killed by the bandits.
Jalingo, in the interview with the Hausa service of the VOA, demanded a ransom of N100m and ten motorcycles.
He warned that the failure of the Kaduna State Government or the students’ families to meet the demands by Tuesday, would lead to the killing of the remaining students.
He insisted that if the money (N100m) and the items (motorcycles) demanded were not provided on Tuesday, trucks would be used to evacuate the lifeless bodies of the remaining students.
He said 17 of the abducted students, including 15 females and two males, were in their custody.
Jalingo disclosed that the families of the remaining students had so far paid N55 million.
He said the N55 million was used to feed the abductees.
Recall that following the kidnap of the students and a staff member of the school, the bandits had made contacts with the parents and demanded N800 million ransom for the release of the students.
But five of them were later killed for failure to meet the demand.
Meanwhile, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has said that the governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Nasir el-Rufai should be held accountable if the brigands carry out their threat to a logical conclusion.
Spokesman for SOKAPU, Mr. Luka Binniyat, said the governor was sounding tough with the outlaws without having any alternative plan.
“It is unfortunate that the situation is becoming more tragic than expected. After killing five of these beautiful, harmless, promising children without mercy or conscience, the threat by these armed men should prove to everyone that we don’t share the same humanity with them.
“Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai should be held responsible if anything happens further to these students. He knows that he had no capacity to crush these evil men; he knew he had no options at his disposal for the release of these students, yet he said he would not pay or negotiate their release.
“Leaders who should be so tough with outlaws like these usually have a potent alternative action outside negotiation. But his opinion of non-negotiation, or prosecuting those who hold dialogues with the kidnappers is more of a death sentence to the captives. If his child were among them, we don’t believe he will act this way.
“We are therefore calling on the Federal Government to collaborate and assist the Kaduna State Government in doing what is humanly possible to secure the freedom of these hapless victims,” he said.
