By DAVID ROYAL
There’s an atmosphere of tension in the country as citizens await to hear from the governments after kidnappers of 22 students and staff from Greenfield University in Kaduna on Monday threatened to kill the remaining students, 17 of them held in captivity if the government fails to meet their demands on Tuesday(Today).
You would recall that about 22 students and staff were abducted on April 20 when the hoodlums invaded the school about 8:30 pm.
Having been contacted, the abductors demanded N800 million ransom for the release of the students and staff.
The management of the University appealed to the government and people of goodwill who could be of assistance to come to their aid as the situation surrounding the kidnap of the university students was becoming overwhelming.
However, while negotiations were still ongoing, five of the students were killed by the abductors.
Speaking in an interview with the Voice of America (VOA), Hausa service, one Sani Jalingo who claimed to be the leader of the abductors, warned that if the state government or parents of the students fail to pay a ransom of N100 million and provide them with 10 new Honda motorcycles by today, the remaining students would be killed.
According to Jalingo, 17 students, comprising 15 girls and two boys, were in his custody, including the grandson of the late Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris, whose name was given as Hamza.
He said “You are speaking with the abductors of Greenfield students. We heard the comments of the Kaduna State governor that he will not pay ransom to bandits to purchase additional arms.
“If they fail to bring N100 million and 10 brand new Honda motorcycles known as Boko Haram by Tuesday, I can assure you they will use trucks to evacuate the bodies of the remaining students”.
Jalingo further stated that the families of the abducted students had already paid N55 million, but they had spent the money to feed the students.
Meanwhile, Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State had reiterated his administration’s stance not to negotiate with bandits.
According to the governor, his job is to enforce the law and help to prosecute people who commit offences.
“We will not engage with bandits or kidnappers. Private citizens like clerics and clergymen can do so in their individual capacities, to preach to them and ask them to repent. We also want them to repent but it is not our job to ask them to do so,’’ he said.
After receiving the threat on Monday, Nigerians have been praying and waiting to hear something positive from the government and abductors of the students, some on social media tweeted:
@APOSTLESULEMAN “Let’s pray for #Greenfielduniversity students… Let the Lord preserve them… Let the angels of the Lord reactivate(Acts 12)and set them free in Jesus name.
“When they started pampering “repentant bandits” I cried out. Repentance is unto God not man. Then they started paying bandits.. Now it has become a lucrative business for trigger happy fellows and enemies of our collective patrimony. #Greenfielduniversity is priority..”
@aproko_doctor “We created this monster currently, paying kidnappers and pampering repentant terrorists. Now some students of #Greenfielduniversity may pay for the government’s inability to protect them with their lives. This is no longer acceptable, it’s becoming a norm and has to stop”
@joeydozie “It’s important that we get #Greenfielduniversity trending. Bill and Melinda are going to be alright. If those students get killed today, that’s the end of their story. All they wanted was to get educated.”
@frankdonga_ “When I remember the students killed at #Greenfielduniversity and those still in danger, I can’t help thinking that some people somewhere are collecting salaries and allowances for securing citizens and there’s this much insecurity”
@TosinOlugbenga “17 kidnapped students of #Greenfielduniversity might face death TODAY. Their lives, dreams cut short simply cos we’ve a govt that does a lot of talking without any action. The Governor of that state was Tweeting motivations on Saturday. Buhari is a failure!”
@IconicRhaymond “I pray Almighty God protect all Greenfield students and bring them back home safely
It will be a very bad news if #Greenfielduniversity students did not come back home safe”
@IamBugzy “These #Greenfielduniversity abductors have gotten 55M. How was these humongous amount gotten across to them? They are contacting the relatives of the abductees by phone and yet these lines can’t be traced. What exactly is DSS doing?” (Vanguard)
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