The abductors of students and officials of Nigeria-Turkish International School, Isheri, Ogun State, yesterday, reduced the ransom from N1.2 billion to N700 million.
Gunmen had stormed the school on Friday night, abducted three female students, three Nigerian officials and two Turkish officials.
The kidnappers had called families of the victims, demanding N100 million on each child and Nigerian officials of the school and N300 million each on the Turkish nationals, bring the total ransom to N1.2 billion.
However, the kidnappers yeaterday scaled down their demand with each of the students and the Nigerian officials expected to pay N50 million while N200 million was placed on each of the Turkish officials.
However, a parent of one of the victims, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Daily Sun he was angry that some families of the victims who have started negotiating with the kidnappers on their own.
He said: “We planned to do things together, but some of us who felt they have money are showing their financial strength, as they have started offering some prices to the kidnappers.
“If they have the money, it is not all of us that have money.”
A detective told Daily Sun yesterday that they were able to unmask two of the suspects, declaring: “Yes, there is hope in sight for the victims and their families, as we have been able to identify two of the principal suspects in the kidnapping.
“We have a way of unmasking criminals. The hoodlums are talking tough, but we are closing in on them. I assure you, we know two of the suspects.”
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2 command, Onikan, Lagos, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, told Daily Sun that the police were working hard to rescue the victims and arrest the suspects.
“I assure you that in no distant time, they will be freed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has vowed that his administration would do everything within its capacity to rescue the kidnapped students and officials.
Amosun, who gave this assurance while meeting with the parents of the students, declared that the state was not and would never be a comfort zone for criminals, adding that the perpetrators would not go unpunished.
The governor also disclosed that his government, in swift response, had immediately put security measures on ground to ensure the safe return of the victims, adding the Federal Government had been informed about the ugly incident.
Amosun said: “Our government has put necessary security measure in place for the rescue of the abductees. Ogun State is already in action. Let me reassure you that we are going to rescue the victims soon. The Federal Government is aware of this.”
He, however, appealed to the parents and guardians to be calm and prayerful, urging them not to withdraw their children and wards in panic, as necessary security measures had been put in place by the state government, in conjunction with the school management.
