kidnappers demand N150m ransom for release of Kogi abducted orphans

Abductors of children from an Orphanage and School located in a remote area of Zariagi, along the Kabba Junction axis of Lokoja in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State, have demanded a ransom of N150 million for their release.

Two wives of the proprietor and 24 children, making 26 persons, were said to have been abducted late Sunday night when armed men invaded the facility.

Isah Hajarat, a teacher at the school, told BusinessDay that the attack began around 11:00p.m., throwing the area into chaos.

She said, “Some of the children managed to escape during the attack, but nine people are still in the custody of the abductors. The kidnappers have contacted the proprietor and are demanding N150 million ransom”.

One of the students who escaped, Faruk Alhassan, recounted the ordeal, describing how panic broke out when the gunmen stormed the premises.

“When they came, we started shouting and running for safety. Some of us hid in one of the rooms, but they followed us there and tried to take my younger brother. We all started crying”, he said.

Faruk added that he later fled into the bush, from where he contacted his father, who alerted security operatives.

He could not clearly identify the attackers. He noted that some of them were masked and armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.

He, however, appealed to the Government to intensify efforts to rescue those still in captivity.

Confirming the incident, Naziru Bello Kankarofi, the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, said 17 of the abducted persons had been rescued through joint efforts by security agencies, local hunters, and vigilance groups.

He said, “Our men received a distress call at about 11:45 p.m. and immediately mobilized to the scene. Working with local security groups, we were able to rescue 17 victims, while others, including the proprietor’s two wives and some children, are still missing”.

He added that a coordinated search -and-rescue operation involving the Police, Military, hunters, and vigilance groups is ongoing to secure the release of the remaining victims.