The bandits who kidnapped 20 persons from the College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Bakura in Zamfara, have requested for N350 million as ransom.
The victims (which include fifteen students, four members-of-staff, and a driver), were abducted from the school premises around 11pm on Sunday by the gun wielding hoodlums.
One police officer and two watchmen were killed during the incident.
The provost of the college, Habibu Mainasara confirmed the ransom demand to newsmen on Tuesday.
The Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, on Monday, promised to secure the release of the victims.
In a statement by his spokesman, Yusuf Gusau, on Monday, he condemned the attack on the College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Bakura.
“Governor Matawalle who is seriously saddened with the resurgence of school abduction in the state by recalcitrant bandits is, however, thankful to God for the prompt response of the security agencies to the school to reinforce the already stationed security at the school which also led to the successful rescue of three out of the four abducted staff of the institution,” the statement said.
“The governor directed the security operatives in the state to intensify efforts and rescue all the abductees, promising to do everything humanly possible to rescue them unhurt.”
According to Governor Matawalle, the state government has continued to strengthen efforts of providing security to all schools across the state since the abduction of the schoolgirls in Jangebe.
He commended the immediate action of the security agencies to launch search and rescue strategies to ensure the safe return of the abducted students and staff still in captivity.
The governor also made an appeal to residents of the state to remain calm, saying the government was taking all the necessary steps to restore normalcy in the area.
He, however, urged inhabitants to cooperate with the security agencies deployed in the area by providing them with useful information that could lead to the rescue of the victims.
Governor Matawalle called on the people to intensify prayers for an end to all criminal activities in the state and the nation at large.
