Abducted Lagos Students: Kidnappers call parents again, reduces ransom to N600m

After three days of being incommunicado, abductors of the six pupils of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, re-established contacts with some of the victims’ parents on Tuesday.

According to Punch, the kidnappers had reduced the N1bn ransom earlier demanded to N600m and briefly allowed the parents to speak with the children to confirm their safety.

Despite the parents’ pleas that they were poor, the gunmen were said to have insisted on N100m for each pupil.

It was earlier reported that the gunmen stormed the school premises at about 6am on Thursday, three days after writing the school authorities, informing them about the attack.

They broke the hostel doors, seized 10 Senior Secondary School pupils and led them to the shore where their boat was anchored.

The kidnappers had earlier called some parents of the victims on Saturday, demanding N400m each from two parents while two others were asked to pay N100m each.

But the Lagos State Government declined ransom negotiation with the kidnappers, insisting that the pupils would be freed by security agents.