Fresh details have emerged following the abduction of 15 schoolgirls in Niger State, with the kidnappers reportedly demanding more than N100 million for their release.
The abducted children, who are students of an Islamiya school, were reportedly taken by suspected bandits while assisting their teacher, Malam Aminu Bako, on his farm in Tungan-Bako village, Rafi Local Government Area of the state.
Their teacher has now disclosed that the kidnappers have established contact with village leaders and made a ransom demand exceeding N100 million.
He also released the names of the abducted students while appealing to security agencies to intensify efforts to secure their freedom.
The news has heightened concerns among residents and families of the victims, who are worried about the condition of the children and the circumstances surrounding their continued captivity.
Bako said information received through local vigilantes suggested that the abducted students were still being held somewhere within Niger State.
According to him, the children were reportedly kept inside an isolated building under the watch of heavily armed gunmen.
He expressed concern about their welfare, particularly the possibility that they might not have access to adequate food and other basic necessities.
“We heard that they were still within Niger State, locked in a building, probably without food. We are worried; we want the authorities to come to our aid to rescue them,” he said.
The teacher insisted that the situation required urgent intervention from the military and other security agencies, arguing that local vigilantes alone might not have the capacity to confront the armed men holding the children.
He also expressed disappointment over what he described as the limited assistance received since the incident occurred.
According to him, the school and parents of the abducted students had largely been left to depend on community vigilantes for information and efforts to locate the kidnappers.
Bako disclosed that the acting chairman of Rafi Local Government Area and the Divisional Police Officer were the only government officials who had visited the community following the abduction.
He said the visits provided some reassurance to residents, but maintained that more concrete security measures were needed to ensure the safe return of the children.
The teacher also revealed that he had been receiving calls and complaints from parents who were desperate for information about their daughters.
He said the families had continued to put pressure on him because of their concerns about the safety of the children, adding that the absence of further government engagement had increased their anxiety.
“We are also worried that nobody has visited us from the state government, at least to give us hope that something is being done to ensure their release,” he added.
Bako further confirmed that the kidnappers contacted village leaders the previous evening and demanded more than N100 million as ransom.
A parent of one of the victims, identified as Malam Adamu, also confirmed that the armed men had made contact with members of the community.
Adamu explained that the kidnappers initially believed the abducted children were students of government-owned schools.
However, they were informed that the victims attended an Islamiya school.
He said the distinction was raised during the communication with the kidnappers, although the demand for ransom had already been made.
“They told whoever spoke with them yesterday that the students were from government schools, so they should pay over N100 million, but they were told that the students were from Islamiya schools.”
The parent appealed to the Niger State Government to intervene and provide the necessary security support to ensure the children were rescued.
He warned against leaving the responsibility entirely in the hands of local vigilantes, particularly given the weapons reportedly possessed by the kidnappers.
“This is not the time to leave us to only the vigilantes,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Niger State Police Command has confirmed the abduction, although its account of the number of victims differs slightly from the figure provided by the teacher.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said suspected bandits invaded Tungan-Bako village in Rafi Local Government Area and abducted several people working on a farm.
According to the police spokesman, preliminary information indicated that about 14 of the victims were students of an Islamiya school who had accompanied their instructor to harvest maize.
He said the police had received information about the incident and assured that joint security operations were ongoing to rescue those taken away.
The police position indicates that security agencies are aware of the incident and have commenced efforts to secure the victims’ release.
However, the concerns raised by residents suggest that the community is still waiting for a visible security operation capable of locating the abductors and bringing the children home.
The discrepancy between the 14 victims mentioned by the police and the 15 names released by the teacher has also emerged as part of the details surrounding the incident.
Bako subsequently provided the names of the 15 students who were reportedly abducted while harvesting maize on his farm.
The students are Hassana Isah, Aliya Ahmad, Hajara Musa, Hauwa’u Abubakar, Halima Yahaya, Asma’u Jamilu, Radiya Salisu, Aminatu Salisu, Aisha Bello, Rahinatu Sani, Aminatu Alhassan, Nafisa Ayuba, Bilkisu Adamu, Salaha Abdullahi and Hajara Salisu.
Nonetheless, authorities have yet to publicly provide details of any direct communication with the kidnappers or disclose whether the reported ransom demand has been independently verified.
