The abductors of pupils of Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School, Tegina in Niger State, have collected N20 million from parents of the children but have refused to release them, sources said on Friday.
The latest development followed the signing of a law by Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, for kidnappers, bandits and their informants to die by hanging. The law also empowers the operational capacity of the vigilante corps.
Parents of the pupils were reportedly told to pay N30 million earlier in the week, but sources hinted yesterday that they were able to raise N20 million, which was collected; however, three days after the bandit collected the money they have refused to release the children.
According to one parent “They wanted N30 million, we raised N20 million; we gave them the money only for them to say we only gave them money for recharge cards, now three days after, they refused to release our children”.
Government sources hinted that the recent development was “chiefly aimed at bending the government to rescind its stand against payment of ransom to them”.
All attempts to reach the headteacher of the school, Alhassan Garba Abubakar, who has been the link between the parents and the bandits proved abortive.
Recall that Gov. Bello, at a brief event at Government House, Minna yesterday, signed the Special Provisions of the Law against Kidnapping and Cattle Rustling (2016), which was amended to provide for the punishment of informants and all those involved in aiding and abetting kidnapping and cattle rustling in the State to die by hanging.
The governor stated that informants who aid and abet kidnappers would now have to face death by hanging in public.
