Bandits release 28 out of 121 kidnapped Kaduna students

BANDITS, who kidnapped 121 students from the Bethel Baptist Secondary School in Chikun Local Government of Kaduna State, on Sunday, released 28 out of all the kidnapped victims.

It is not certain if the state government or parents paid a ransom before securing their release.

But  Kaduna State Chapter Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Joseph Hayab told journalists in the state that the 28 students regained freedom during the early hours of Sunday, July 25.

He said the students would be released to their parents later this evening.

Both the state government and the Kaduna State Police Command are yet to confirm the news

The ICIR reached out to the Kaduna State Police Pubic Relations Officer Mohammed Jalige and Special Assistant on Media to the Kaduna State Governor Muyiwa Adekeye to confirm the news, but both did not respond to text messages sent for clarification.

On July 7, President of the Kaduna Baptist Conference and Proprietor of the school Yahaya Adamu Jangado announced the kidnapping incident to the school management and parents.

“They came and, already, the bandits were going away with a number of our students and there was an exchange of fire between the soldiers and the bandits. In the process, we lost two of the security operatives.

“For now, we know that we have 154 students in the school hostel, as at yesterday (Monday), after the exchange of fire between the soldiers and the bandits. We came to the school and recovered 28 students. Some of them hid in many places. In the course of taking them away, some students escaped and came back to the school,” he stated.

However, Hayab expressed optimism on the release of the remaining abducted students.

“We are hopeful that more would be released soon and eventually all the students,” he stated.

Banditry in the northern part of the country, especially  Kaduna State, has become a thing of worry to the public.

Yesterday, Saturday, July 25, the Police foiled an attempted bandit attack on its armoury.

On December 11, 2020 gunmen attacked Government Secondary School, Kankara, in Katsina State, kidnapping 300 students.

On February 27, armed men also invaded another secondary school in Niger State and abducted 50 students.

On March 2, gunmen attacked Girls Secondary School in Jagebe, Zamfara State, and kidnapped some female students. There were other similar attacks where 30 students were kidnapped at Greenfield University, Kaduna State. At the College of Forestry, almost 100 students were  kidnapped in Kaduna.

These, among others, are series of kidnappings the nation has witnessed in recent times.