Nigerian gunmen demand $621,848 ransom for 287 abducted school children

Gunmen in Nigeria demand a ransom of $621,848 and threaten to kill 287 school children abducted on March 7 if their demands are not met within three weeks

Gunmen in Nigeria who abducted a minimum of 287 school children last Thursday have demanded a ransom of 1 billion naira ($621,848) and have threatened to execute all the students if their demands are not met within three weeks.

The abduction took place on March 7, with the perpetrators claiming it as retribution against the government and security agencies for the killing of their gang members.

Armed bandits on motorcycles stormed the LEA Primary and Secondary School in Kuriga village, located in Kaduna’s Chikun district, taking more than 300 students early Thursday morning.

While some students have been rescued, 287 of them are still in captivity.

Of these, approximately 100 are from the primary school, with the remaining students from the secondary school.

This recent incident follows a similar one in 2021 when armed individuals kidnapped at least 140 students from a private secondary school.

Additionally, just a few months prior, around 20 students from a private university in Chikun’s Kasarami village were abducted by gunmen.

Tragically, five of these students lost their lives after the ransom deadline passed without paying the ransom.

Source: Newsroom