... We are on top of the situation- Police

Two weeks after gunmen invaded Damba-Kasaya village in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State and abducted four children and their teacher, Daily Trust reports that parents of the abducted children have appealed to the state government to rescue the children and their teacher.

Daily Trust had reported that the gunmen had killed one Benjamin Auta, a farmer and then attacked Prince Academy School located in the community where the students were revising for their Junior Secondary School examination.

Those in captivity include Happy Waziri, 16, Ezra Bako, 15, Miracle Danjuma, 15, Favour Danjuma, 4 and their teacher, Christiana Madugu.

A week after the attack, Odoji Isiaka, the father of one of the victims told Daily Trust that the gunmen had made contact and were demanding for N20 million for their release.

Though Isiaka could not be reached due to communication problems in the community, the community youth leader, Akila Luka Barde told our correspondent that the parents could not raise the amount because they are very poor. “The money demanded was too much for us as a community because 20 million is not a joke. The parents are living in a remote village, so where will they get such an amount to pay as ransom," he said.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Jalige when contacted said the police was on top of the situation and has deployed intelligence personnel to the area to monitor and report information from time to time.

He said information available to the police was that the bandits had demanded N40 million as ransom and stressed that the police do not advise payment of a ransom to criminals.