Kaduna students abductors release video, demand N500m

Gunmen who kidnapped 39 students from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Kaduna state’s Afaka, Igabi local government area have demanded N500 million in return for their release.

Three parents of abducted students have reported to our correspondents that the kidnappers have contacted them and demanded N500 million.

The Kaduna State Government has yet to respond to the videos or the ransom demand, as Samuel Aruwan, the state Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, has not returned calls or texts.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai, in an interview has ruled out the possibility of paying a ransom or negotiating with the bandits.

Their kidnappers used the students’ Facebook accounts to post three videos of them being surrounded by gunmen in military uniform.

Some of the students who had been rescued from the college confirmed the names of their classmates and friends in the videos.

The gunmen pointed at a man in a red shirt and asked him to talk in the first footage released on Friday at 1:07pm via the Facebook account of one Kelvita K. Dan. He introduced himself as Abubakar Yakubu.

“A student of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation Kaduna. I am appealing to the Governor of Kaduna state, the state government and Federal government,” before the 30 seconds video ended.

Kelvita appealed to the Nigerian government to come to their rescue by paying the N500 million demanded by their abductors.

The gunmen were seen flogging the students as they screamed and pleaded for the government to come to their rescue in the second video, which was posted around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.

“Our life is in danger, just give them what they want,” some of the students screamed.

Others said: “They should just pay the ransom and allow us to go, our parents need us.”

The third video showed a gun pointed at a man identified as Benson Emmanuel who appealed to the government to secure their release.

“Most of us here have been badly injured, time is going, most of us here are having health issues and they are complaining about the government trying to send security operatives to come and rescue us which is almost impossible because they have surrounded us saying anybody that comes from anywhere to try to rescue us or do anything by force, they are going to take our lives.”

“We are appealing to the government to come now that is early because these people have a bad mind towards us, we are appealing to the government to help us,” he said.