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BREAKING: Bandits Release 15 Abducted Kaduna Baptist School Students

The bandits earlier released 28 of the students on Sunday, July 25, after a ransom of N50 million was paid.

Fifteen of the kidnapped students of Bethel Baptist High School have been released by bandits.

The bandits earlier released 28 of the students on Sunday, July 25, after a ransom of N50 million was paid. 

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The pupils had spent 20 days in captivity at the time. 

The abducted students were 121 in number, according to the president of the Kaduna Baptist Conference, Rev. Ishaya Jangado, who is also the proprietor of the school, The PUNCH reports. 

Recall that in the early hours of Monday, 5th July, 2021, bandits stormed the school in Damishi, Kaduna, and abducted 121 students.

The chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. John Hayab, said the 15 students were released on Saturday night by the bandits.

Some students of the school have regained their freedom while others ran away and another set, freed on health grounds.

As of August 7, it was learnt that at least 80 students were left with the abductors, while about N60 million had been spent as ransom by parents to secure the release of some of the students. 

Hayab had explained that the bandits later demanded each parent to pay N1 million to secure the freedom of the 80 remaining students, bringing the ransom demanded to N80 million.

One of the parents of the abducted students who pleaded anonymity had said only the parents of the students had been facing the heat regarding the abduction. 

Another parent explained that he and others went through hell before they could afford the demands of the kidnappers to ensure the release of their children.

He said, “I had to sell our family farm and other valuable assets at our disposal. Even one of my sons, who is in the university, had to contribute his tuition to see that his younger brother regained freedom.”