In Kaduna, Nigeria, gunmen who recently kidnapped 286 students and staff from a school in the northern region have demanded a ransom of 1 billion naira ($620,432) for their release, according to a spokesperson representing the families of the hostages and a local councillor as reported by Reuters.
This incident occurred on March 7 in Kuriga, a town located in Kaduna State’s northwestern region. The abducted individuals include school children, some older students, and members of the school staff. This marks the first large-scale kidnapping in the country since 2021.
Jubril Aminu, who serves as a community leader and speaks on behalf of the hostage families, revealed that he received a call from the kidnappers on Tuesday.
“The ransom demand for all the pupils, students, and staff of the school amounts to a total of 1 billion naira,” Aminu stated. “The kidnappers set a deadline of 20 days for the ransom payment from the date of the abduction. They threatened to harm all the students and staff if their demand is not met.”
A local official, Idris Ibrahim, from the Kuriga Ward municipal council confirmed the ransom demand and specified the amount requested.
“Yes, the kidnappers contacted the community through Jubril Aminu’s phone and made the ransom request,” Ibrahim confirmed. He also mentioned that the security forces are actively working to trace the hidden number used by the kidnappers.
He assured that measures were being taken to ensure the safe release of the students. The Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs in Kaduna State, Samuel Aruwan, did not immediately respond to inquiries from Reuters regarding the kidnappers’ demands.
The ransom amount equates to over $2,000 per hostage, surpassing Nigeria’s annual per capita income based on data from the International Monetary Fund.
($1 = 1,611.7800 naira)
(Reporting by Garba Muhammad in Kaduna, Giulia Paravicini in Nairobi; Writing by Bate Felix, editing by Silvia Aloisi and Jon Boyle)
