27 students abducted in northwestern Nigeria released

KANO, Nigeria

At least 27 students abducted in March from a college in Nigeria’s Kaduna state have been released by their abductors.

Muhammad Abdulaziz, the father of one of the released students, told reporters on Wednesday the release was facilitated by the Kaduna-based Sheikh Abubakar Gumi dialogue committee with the support of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The students were among the 37 students abducted almost two months ago from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in Afaka, Kaduna state.

After payment of ransom by parents and school management, the bandits had only released 10 of the victims previously.

The abductors had initially demanded a 500 million Nigerian naira ($1.3 million) ransom from the Kaduna State government, but Governor Nasir El-Rufai ruled out the option of negotiation, saying bandits deserved to be killed.