Abductors Of Baptist Pupils Threaten To Start Charging Interest Over Delayed Ransom Payment
There are indications that bandits are demanding ‘demurrage’ for extra days the 80 remaining students of Bethel Baptist School in Kaduna State spend in captivity.
The source said, “There is no positive news yet from the bandits. We spoke with them and they are insisting that they (parents) must pay them N80m. They are even threatening to raise the ransom above N80m. They said with every additional day, they would increase the ransom.
“They said every passing day would be demurrage. We begged them to collect what we had given them, but they refused. We have been pleading and reaching out to people to assist us but there is no money in the country. The little we have, we have given the bandits, yet they refuse (to release them).”
Our correspondent had reported that bandits had increased their ransom to N80m, while the mother of one of the students had been diagnosed with a swollen heart.
The bandits, on July 5, 2021, stormed the school located along the Kaduna-Kachia highway in the Chikun Local Government Area and made away with the students.
The proprietor, who is also the President, Kaduna Baptist Conference, Rev. Ishaya Jangado, had said no fewer than 121 students were abducted by the bandits.
Twenty-eight students of the Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna, were released after spending 20 days in the kidnappers’ den, while four others reportedly escaped.
