By John Ikani
Bandits who kidnapped 121 students of Bethel Baptist High, Mararaba Damishi, Kaduna, have released 32 out of the 63 students remaining in their captivity.
Joseph Hayab, Chairman of the Kaduna State Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), confirmed the students’ release on Friday.
The CAN Chairman said the parents were advised to immediately take their wards to the hospital for medical check up, as they were received very sick and exhausted.
According to him, “the children looked so weak, sick and tired. So, the parents were advised to take their wards to hospital this night for medical check up.”
It would be recalled that a total of 121 students were abducted from their hostels by bandits on July 5, but some of them later escaped.
The kidnappers who initially demanded N100m ransom, reduced it to N60m after a series of negotiations. The police also claimed to have rescued two students in the Rijanna area along the Kaduna-Abuja highway.
A few days later, parents reportedly contributed money to buy foodstuffs for the abductors who demanded 30 bags of rice, 20 bags of beans and 10 kegs of palm oil.
After allegedly collecting N50m ransom, the bandits released 28 students on July 25 and promised to release the remaining 90 in batches. They also jerked up the ransom to N80m.
Last Saturday night, another 15 students were released and reunited with their parents amid mixed feelings of joy and sadness.
With the latest release, 90 students have regained their freedom so far, while 31 others are still held hostage.
