Tegina kidnap: Parents raise N11m as bandits hike ransom to N200m

Parents of the abducted 156 pupils of the Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School in Tegina town of Rafi Local Government of Niger State said they have raised N11 million out of the N110m ransom earlier demanded by the bandits.

This is as the abductors also raised the ransom to N200m over the failure of the parents to provide the ransom on the stipulated date.

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It would be recalled that the bandits had initially demanded for N110 million for the release of the children with a threat to kill them if the money was not paid by the school owner and parents of the children.

Since the parents could not meet up with the target, it was learnt that the bandits got in touch with the parents Thursday evening and increased the ransom to N200m with the same threat if the deadline was not met.

One of the parents, who has five children among the victims, Malam Ali Muhammed, confirmed the latest demand from the abductors.

Muhammed said, “The bandits are serious about killing our children if we cannot pay. We are poor people, we don’t have such money, we plead with the government to come to our assistance.”

Daily Trust Saturday had earlier reported that the state government has not visited the parents or sent a representative to inform them of government’s efforts at rescuing the children.