Bandits who kidnapped students of Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna State, have allegedly reduced the ransom for the release of the captives to N60 million.
Recall that armed men had stormed the school and abducted over 100 students some weeks ago.
Rev. Ishaya Jangado, the proprietor of the school, had said, after a head count of the students as directed by the bandits, that 121 students were being held.
On Monday, the bandits made a new demand of N500,000 from each family of the remaining 120 students.
It was gathered that the bandits also gave Monday as deadline for the payment of the ransom.
One of the parents said, “The bandits demanded hundreds of millions of naira, but later scaled down their demands to N60m, reducing it to N500,000 per student.
“We (parents) have gathered some amounts but the church is trying to raise the remaining money to meet up with the demands of the bandits.”
A brother to one of the kidnapped students, Jesse Peter, also told newsmen that, “The bandits called us on Saturday and said we should raise N500,000 for each of the 120 students remaining with them in the bush. They gave us till Sunday morning to pay the money before shifting the ultimatum to Sunday evening. We have yet to pay and the time they gave us has elapsed and they have not communicated with us since then.
“The parents are still shocked about the whole thing. As for us, we don’t have such money anywhere. We have resorted to prayers.”
