TENSION continued on Tuesday as Nigerians awaited the fate of 16 remaining Greenfield University kidnapped from Kaduna State.
Hours after kidnappers of Greenfield University students threatened to kill the abducted students if their demand was not met by Tuesday, Nigerians became jittery as report showed that only one out of the 17 remaining students was released.
The bandits demanded N100 million and 10 brand new Honda motorcycles, which they said must be made available by Tuesday before the students could be set free, according to Sani Idris Jalingo, who identified himself as the leader of thee bandits.
Sani had earlier said that 17 students were still in their custody after his group killed five students of the university.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai has insisted on non-negotiating with bandits to secure victims’ release. He said that had not curbed insecurity but would rather escalate it.
Some of the abductees who were reported to have spoken with VOA in an interview had appealed to their parents and the government to pay the ransom.
Bandits said the N55 million paid by the students’ families was used for the feeding of the abductees. Some parents have also been reported to be negotiating privately with the bandits.
One of the 17 students has been released. The mother—the wife of a retired Army officer from Plateau State—was reported to have settled the bandits privately.
The remaining parents are still hopeful that positive steps can still be taken by the government to help them receive their children alive before it’s too late.
Nigerians on Twitter have expressed worry over the fate of the students.
“Please pray for the Greenfield University students. Pray very hard for divine intervention. My heart goes out to the children and their parents in this dark hour. May God help us all,” A Twitter user Kembwoy Msafi, with a handle @kenbwoyM, said.
Another Twitter user @wayas_way said, “As a father, I can’t imagine the pain the parents of the Greenfield university students are passing through. If the security operatives can’t secure them, isn’t it proper for us to mobilize, go into that Forest to rescue them? Untill we wakeup things like this will keep occurring.”
A Twitter influencer OurFavOnlineDoc, with the handle @Dr Olufunmilayo, urged Nigerians to speak up for the students.
“There are reports that if the Govt doesn’t meet the demands of the terrorists, more Greenfield University students will be slaughtered. They have already killed 5 students. Pls let’s speak up for these helpless children. Lend your voice,” he said.
Meanwhile the Presidency said it deeply shared the anguish of the parents of the abducted Greenfield University students. “The FG through the military and intelligence agencies is working to support the Kaduna State Govt to bring this tragic saga to an end with no further loss of innocent life.,” a statement on Presidency’s Twitter page said.