Guest Writer
So effectively, the justice, telecommunication and the security segments of the Nigerian government must be placed under surveillance to fish out persons who have continued to compromise national security and are almost succeeding in inaugurating a government by gunmen in Nigeria of 2020.
A brief run – down of some of the reported cases of kidnappings and payments that took place in the past few months in Nigeria, should convince us that there is more to it than meets the eyes. The latest was that which took place somewhere in Kaduna whereby those who went to pay ransom reportedly stated that SECURITY OPERATIVES WISHED US LUCK AS WE WENT TO PAY RANSOM.
Like a NOLLYWOOD movie, Daily Trust reported that the nine students of Ahmadu Bello University ( ABU), Zaria, abducted six days ago along the Kaduna- Abuja highway have regained their freedom. Daily Trust gathered that families of the French Language students individually stumped up over N500,000 each to secure their freedom in a bush near Maru village, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The nine students were part of a travelling group of 12 who chartered an 18- seater bus to convey them to the French Village in Lagos for their French immersion programme. They had been trapped between Akilubu and Gidan Busa Road along the Abuja- Kaduna Highway on Sunday when kidnappers blocked the double- lane highway and opened fire. Two of the students had escaped with gunshot wounds while a female student was spared because of her toddler. The bus driver, Nurudeen Mohammed, who also escaped the attack, later confirmed that nine students, not eight as earlier reported, had been abducted.
Daily Trust reports that the bandits had demanded a cumulative ransom of N270 million, asking each parent to provide N30 million for the students’ freedom.
However, after days of negotiations with relatives, Daily Trust gathered that the kidnappers settled for unequal amounts from various families. Christian John, whose sister, Elizabeth John, was among the students confirmed that his sister had returned home safely after they paid the ransom.
He said though suffering from exhaustion, Elizabeth was doing well and happy to reunite with her family. He refused to disclose how much they paid for his sister’s freedom. The Director, Public Affairs, of ABU, Auwalu Umar also confirmed the release of all nine students on Saturday night but said he could not give further details.
Other relatives of the victims however told Daily Trust correspondents that the school management and the government were not part of the negotiations.
Continued tomorrow on Opinion page.
Onwubiko is head of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria ( HURIWA).