Niger pupils regain freedom — after 16 weeks in captivity

More than two months after pupils of Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School in Tegina town, Raffi LGA of Niger state, were kidnapped, those still in captivity have regained their freedom.

A source confirmed the development to TheCable on Thursday evening.

Hundreds of pupils and students were kidnapped from the school on May 30, when bandits attacked the community.

The freed pupils are currently on their way to Minna, the Niger capital.

The development comes days after six of the children were said to have died in captivity.

Abubakar Alhassan, the school principal, was said to have disclosed that the bandits called to notify him of the death of the children.

Alhassan said the bandits disclosed that the children died after falling ill, adding that the kidnappers insisted that ransom be paid for the release of the children still in captivity.

Weeks before the death of the children was confirmed, the bandits had reportedly raised the ransom demanded from N110 million to N200 million.

But Ahmed Ketso, Niger deputy governor, had said the government had begun negotiations with abductors of the kidnapped children.

Ketso had also maintained that no ransom would be paid.