A ransom of N1bn has been demanded by the abductors of students and a teacher from the Government Secondary School and Local Authority Education in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The abductors reached out to the community a week after the incident, during which they reportedly kidnapped at least 287 students and pupils. The situation was confirmed by Jubril Aminu, a community leader, in a conversation with Reuters.
The kidnappers issued a 20-day ultimatum for the payment of the ransom, starting from the day of the abduction. They threatened to kill all the students and the staff if their demands were not met, according to Aminu.
This demand was made two days after Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, an Islamic Scholar, urged the federal government to engage in negotiations with the kidnappers and address their grievances. In an exclusive interview with THE WHISTLER, Gumi expressed his readiness to facilitate the process and ensure the safe return of the students.
Despite this, both the federal government and the Kaduna State government have reiterated their policy of not negotiating with terrorists and kidnappers.
