Bandits release 15 abducted Kaduna Baptist school students

Fifteen of the remaining 80 abducted students of Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi, Kaduna have been released from captivity.

Joseph Hayab, chairman of the Kaduna state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), confirmed their release to TheCable on Sunday.

According to Hayab, the students were released on Saturday night by the bandits.

On July 5, 2021, bandits had invaded the school located some few kilometers away from Kaduna metropolis and abducted 121 students.

The Kaduna CAN chairman said the remaining students still in captivity are now 65.

Hayab said there would be no reunion ceremony for the freed students, adding that their parents will simply pick them up and go home.

The bandits had said that the students would be released in batches when they freed the first batch of 28 on July 25, 2021, after they were said to have collected a ransom of N100m.

After the release of the 28 students in July, the bandits were said to have demanded another N80m for the release of the remaining 80 students.

It was learnt that an undisclosed amount of money was paid before the 15 students were freed.

Israel Akanji, president of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), had earlier said no ransom will be paid for the release of the students.