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John Alechenu, Samson Folarin, Adebayo Ayinde and Armstrong Bakam
Abductors of the 27 students and 15 workers of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State, have threatened to starve them to death if the ransom they are demanding is not paid on time.
One of the abductors stated this in an audio recording made available to one of our correspondents on Wednesday by a prominent Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi.
In the audio recording, the abductor, who spoke in Hausa, was heard conversing with a negotiator, identified by Gumi as a top official of the school.
He rejected N2.7m offered him as ransom for the 27 abductees.
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There were strong indications on Monday that a disagreement among bandits in Niger State was delaying the release of 27 students and 15 workers of Government Science College, Kagara, who were abducted on Wednesday.
A top government source, who confided in
The PUNCH, said the bandits, who carried out the abduction, had not agreed with the warlord government negotiated with.
There was controversy over the release of the abductees on Sunday. Earlier in the day, officials of the Niger State and security sources said the abductees had been released and were on their way to Minna, the state capital.
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Samson Folarin, Maiharaji Altine and Adebayo Ayinla
There was controversy on Sunday over the release of 27 students and 15 workers of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State, who were abducted on Wednesday,
Earlier on Sunday, officials of the state government said the victims, who were abducted when gunmen invaded their school on Wednesday, had been released.
Also, a top security source told one of our correspondents at 11pm on Sunday that the abductees were around Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna State on their way to Minna, the Niger State capital.
The state Governor, Sani Bello, other top officials of the state government and parents of the abductees, were at the Government House Minna, waiting to receive the abductees.
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Influential Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, said on Saturday that the kidnapped Kagara schoolchildren might be released today.
Bandits, donning military uniform, had around 2am on Wednesday invaded Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State and whisked away 27 pupils and 15 staff members after killing a Senior Secondary School 3 pupil.
The incident has created nationwide agitation and worries over the safety of the kidnapped pupils and school staff members, who were whisked away into the bush by the bandits.
In an interview on Saturday, Gumi, who has been in talks with the bandits in the forest, told
Sunday PUNCH that there was a possibility that the abductees might regain freedom today, given ongoing talks between the government and the bandits.
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Godwin Isenyo
There are indications that the government might consider releasing some arrested bandits as a part of the bargains to secure the release of 27 pupils and 15 workers of Government Science College, Kagara, in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, kidnapped on Wednesday.
It was learnt on Friday that the group of bandits responsible for the abduction wanted their gang members in custody of security agencies released as a swap deal to free the abductees.
Bandits in military uniform had reportedly stormed the school around 2am on Wednesday, and seized their victims, killing a Senior Secondary School 3 pupil who raised the alarm in the process.