Greenfield varsity abduction: Bandits demand N100m ransom, threaten to kill students
…Kogi LG Chairman abductors demand N100m
By Tobi Adetunji
The abductors of the students of Greenfield University, Kaduna State have reduced the ransom on the remaining 17 students in their custody to N100 million.
The kidnappers further threatened to kill the students in captivity if the sum of N100million is not paid on Tuesday.
The head of the gang, who identified himself as Sani Idris Jalingo, in an interview with Voice of America (VOA) Hausa on Monday, also demanded 10 Honda brand new motorcycles.
Recall that Nigerian NewsDirect reported that 22 students and matron of the female hostel were abducted from the university’s premises at Kasarami Chikun Local Government Area along Kaduna-Abuja Express way on April 20, 2021.
The bandits, who initially contacted the distressed parents and demanded N800 million ransom, later killed five of the students for failure of the parents and the university management to respond.
In the VOA interview monitored by the Nigerian NewsDirect on Monday, Jalingo explained they killed the five students over failure of government.
He threatened if the N100 million and 10 motorcycles are not delivered by Kaduna Government or parents by Tuesday the remaining students would be killed.
The bandit leader confirmed there were 17 students in their custody, comprising 15 females and two males, one of whom the VOA reported is a grandchild of the late 18th Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris.
Jalingo, who described the Monday threat as his final warning, said the initial N55 million paid by parents of the students has been used to feed the abductees.
According to him: “You are speaking with the abductors of Greenfield students. We heard the utterances of the Kaduna State Governor that he will not pay ransom to bandits to purchase additional arms.
“He (El-Rufai) also told his family that whoever among goes to place where they are kidnapped he will not pay even N5 ransom to rescue them. That is to show that Nigerian government has failed and does not love the citizens. That is why we killed the students (the initial five).”
Asked if he was into terrorism, Jalingo laughed and said, “I am not a terrorist but a food seeker.”
He stressed, “If they (government and parents) fail to bring N100 million and 10 brand new Honda motorcycles by Tuesday, I can assure you, In Shaa Allah (by God’s grace) they will use trucks to evacuate the bodies of the remaining students.”
In the VOA report, two of the students, a male and a female spoke, begging the government to pay the ransom, saying “these people (bandits) don’t make empty threat whatever they say, they carry it out.”
Similarly, the abductors of the Chairman of Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, Pius Kolawole, have also demanded a ransom of one hundred million Naira.
Kolawole and some others were kidnapped on Saturday on his way from Ilorin to his hometown of Egbe, the border town between Kogi and Kwara State.
He was said to be in the company of the state Commissioner for Pension Board Honourable Adebayo Solomon, who was shot dead by the gunmen.
Channels Television gathered that the abductors contacted one of the family members of the chairman on Sunday night to demand the ransom.
A family source on Monday said the abductors promised to call back by this morning to continue with the negotiation.
The source further said the kidnappers had also contacted the Kogi State Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) Mr. Taofik Isah who doubled as the Chairman of Ijumu Local Government Area.
It was gathered that the family, council area and ALGON had now agreed that only the ALGON Chairman should continue with the negotiation with the kidnappers.
Two days ago, the kidnappers did not touch the four-year-old son of late Solomon who was in the vehicle at the time of the attack.
While the police orderly to the chairman took to his heels, the driver of the vehicle was badly wounded and shot at by the abductors and only regained consciousness the second day at the Egbe Hospital.
