Kidnappers of 121 Kaduna students finally put a phone call through

Kidnappers responsible for 121 missing students from Bethel Baptist School in Maraban Rido, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, in the early hours of Monday, July 5, 2021, have reached out to school authorities to say the kids are fine.

“They have called the school saying the children are alive and in good health. The children could be heard in the background crying and pleading to be rescued. The gunmen are yet to make any ransom demands,” writes BBC’s Mayeni Jones on Twitter.

Kidnapping for ransom has morphed into a huge enterprise in Nigeria’s northern region.

The Baptist school kidnap was the 5th such mass abduction targeting schools in Kaduna since March.

Kaduna Governor Nasir Elrufai recently withdrew two of his children from public schools, following threats of kidnap by bandits.

The governor has also repeatedly vowed not to negotiate with bandits or gunmen.

More than 1,000 students have been kidnapped from schools in Nigeria’s northern region since December, with more than 300 still missing.

Meanwhile, popular Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, otherwise known as Sunday Igboho, has dragged the Federal Government to court over the detention of his aides.

It was reported that the aides include those arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

The DSS had stormed the residence of the activist in Soka, Ibadan on July 1; with the action coming on the eve of a planned Yoruba Nation rally in Lagos. The attack had resulted in the death of a couple of persons believed to be aides to the absent Sunday Igboho. Also, a few others were rounded up and taken to Abuja by the DSS.