Breaking
BREAKING: Students Kidnapped from Al-Qalam University in Katsina, Nigeria have been Freed.
BREAKING: Students Kidnapped from Al-Qalam University in Katsina, Nigeria have been Freed.
The abduction of the students – Habiba Shatali, a 200-level Political Science student, Mariam Musa, a 400-level Microbiology student, and Yusuf Abdulazeez, a 400-level Mathematics student – sent shockwaves through the community. The trio had been kidnapped around Kurfi, Dutsinma on January 14, 2024, while heading back to school from Minna, the capital of Niger State. Their journey, intended to mark the end of the Christmas and New Year break, turned into a nightmare as they were waylaid by gunmen suspected to be bandits.
The anguish of the parents was palpable, as they grappled with the uncertainty and fear for the safety of their children. Eighteen days after the abduction, the parents of two of the students, Maryam and Habiba, penned a heartfelt letter to the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Umoru Mohammed Bago, pleading with him to urgently intervene and ensure the release of their children.
The ordeal took a toll not only on the abducted students but also on their families, as the bandits demanded a hefty ransom for their release. The initial demand of N100 million per student was later reduced to N50 million and then further down to N25 million. The financial burden placed on the families added to the anguish, as they struggled to secure the exorbitant sum demanded by the kidnappers.
The public also condemned the uncaring and insensitive attitude of the government towards the plight of the affected students and called for a holistic approach to rescuing the victims.
The Secretary of the National Association of Nigerian Students in Niger State, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, urged the state government to work with the Katsina State Government to fast-track the release of the students who have been languishing in captivity for two weeks.
He expressed confidence that the Niger State Government was doing everything possible to ensure the safe return of the students.
