Bandits: We killed students of Kaduna private varsity to show govt has failed

The bandits, who abducted 22 students from Greenfield University in Kaduna State, have said they killed five of their victims to show government’s failure.

Armed men invaded the school on April 20 and abducted the students after killing a security guard.

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They had made a demand of N800 million but three days after their demands were not met, they killed three students and two others a few days later.

The bandits had vowed to keep killing the innocent students within an interval of days until their demands are met.

But in an interview with the Hausa Service of Voice of America (VOA), monitored by our correspondent, a leader of the bandit group who identified himself as Sani Idris Jalingo, said if the Kaduna State Government or the victims’ families fail to pay a ransom of N100 million as well as provide them with 10 brand Honda motorcycles by Tuesday, the remaining students will be killed.

Jalingo, who said the families of the students have already paid N55 million to them, claimed that they had used the money to feed the students.

“We heard the utterances of the Kaduna State Governor that he will not pay ransom to bandits to purchase additional arms.

“He also said he told his family that he will not pay ransom if any of them is kidnapped. So, we want to show that the Nigerian Government has failed that is why we killed the students,” he said.

Two of the abducted students who spoke during the interview also appealed to the government and their parents to take the threats seriously.

One of the students identified as a grandchild of the late 18th Emir of Zazzau, Shehu Idris, called on the government to negotiate with their captors.

“They mean what they say because they have already killed some of us,” said the student simply identified as Idris.

Similarly, Abigail Usman, another student, also pleaded with the government to send the money so that they can regain freedom.

She said the five students killed were taken in their presence to where they were murdered.

“If they don’t get the money, they will kill us all,” she pleaded.

Daily Trust reports that Governor Nasir El-Rufai has rejected negotiating or paying ransom to bandits.