Femi Owolabi, The CableNG
The gunmen who abducted schoolchildren from Government Science College (GSC), Kagara in Niger state have rejected a N2.7 million ransom offered by the parents.
The school, located in Rafi local government area of the state, was invaded by bandits who abducted 27 students, three staff members and 12 family members of the school staff.
In an audio obtained by The PUNCH, one of the abductors, believed to be speaking with a negotiator, said they do not care if the schoolchildren die of hunger because they have no food to give them.
“I don’t have food for them. If anybody dies among them, we will tell you where to go and pick the corpse,” he was quoted to have said.
“You know these children are hungry. I don’t have food to give them, only water if they are going to die, let them die.
“You think I don’t know what you people are doing? I can tell you how many security vehicles are in Kagara as we speak.
“It is with the help of the people of the city that intruders can overrun the city. Don’t you know that? The person who gave us this business is there among you. He is there with you. Wherever you go, he is watching you. If you want to do this deal, go ahead. From God we come and to him we will returnt
“Even if you put together the entire security forces of Nigeria in Kagara, I have eyes all over Kagara. Whichever step you take in Nigeria, I swear, I will know. You people are saying they should not pay us, that if they pay us, we will use money to buy weapons. With whose money did we buy our weapons? If we don’t have weapons, you will just send security agents to kill us and take the children.”
According to The PUNCH, the negotiator appealing to the bandit, said the parents “have agreed to pay N2.7 million. Each parent will pay N100,000.” But this was rejected by the abductor who threatened to unleash more terror on Kagara.
Abubakar Bello, governor of Niger state, has insisted that his government will neither negotiate nor pay ransom to kidnappers.
