Kidnappers who abducted students from Bethel Baptist Secondary School in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State have released 15 more of the hostages after collecting ransom, a representative of families said on Sunday.
Recall that scores of assailants stormed the school on July 5 on the outskirts of Kaduna State capital city Kaduna, abducting 121 students who were sleeping in their dorms.
While a few of them were released, 70 other students are still in the hands of their abductors who demanded huge sums of ransom from their parents.
Following the huge demand, parents have given up on the release of their children.
The Chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. John Hayab, on Sunday, confirmed that the students were released on Saturday night by the bandits.
“Fifteen students were released last night after ransom was paid,” Reverend Joseph Hayab, a local church leader and representative of Bethel parents, told AFP.
Hayab declined to say how much was paid as local authorities say they are opposed to ransoms and have threatened to jail those who make payments.
So far 56 of the kidnapped Bethel students have been released or escaped from their abductors.
“We still have 65 more of our students with the bandits and we are working to see they can be freed,” Hayab said.
Details later…
