Niger Govt In Talks With Students’ Abductors, Bans Okada Operations In The State

The Niger State Government has said it is making progress in the negotiation with the abductors of the 156 abducted students of Salihu Tanko school, to ensure the release their release, while calling on parents to be patient.
Recall that gunmen had stormed the school on Sunday, 30th May, 2021, carting away with dozens of students from the Islamic school in the North Central State. Meanwhile, the bandits had contacted the school headmaster, Alhaji Abubakar Alhassan, around 4pm on Monday, demanding the whooping sum of N110m as ransom for the release of the pupils.
Giving an update on the situation at the Government House, Minna, on Wednesday, the Deputy Governor of the State, Ahmed Ketso disclosed that the government is in talks with the abductors. Ketso, however, noted that the negotiation is not about the payment of ransom but on how to secure the release of the pupils unhurt. “We can now confirm that a total of 136 students were abducted. This was followed by a briefing on measures been put in place for the safe release of the abductees. We are also in contact with the parents. We call on them to be patient, government is making all efforts to secure the release of the children”, Ketso said.
Read also: Greenfield University: We Paid ₦180m Ransom And Gave 10 Motorcycles To Get Our Children Released – Parents
The Deputy Governor also announced a total ban on commercial motorcycle operations in Minna, the state capital. This seem to be necessary as the State Police command said the gunmen attacked Tegina town in Niger state on Sunday, arriving on motorbikes and shooting indiscriminately. The report further said the criminals killed one resident, injured another before kidnapping children from the Salihu Tanko Islamic school.

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