Barely 30 hours after, the bandits who attacked Bethel Baptist Secondary School, Kaduna on Monday abducting several students, have contacted the school confirming that they have 121 students in their custody.
President Kaduna Baptist Conference and Proprietor of Bethel Baptist Secondary school, Kaduna Rev. Ishaya Adamu Jangado disclosed this to newsmen Tuesday evening after a meeting of the management and parents of the abducted students.
Rev Jangado said though the bandits called and allowed the school management to speak with few of the students, they were yet to demand for ransom.
Recounting how the abduction took place, Jangado said on Monday morning they received a distress call that bandits invaded the school and on hearing the news they alerted security agencies to come to their rescue and they responded.
“They came and already the bandits were going away with a number of our students and there was an exchange of fire between the soldiers and the bandits and in the process, we lost two of the soldiers.
“For now, we know that we have 154 students in the school hostel and yesterday (Monday) after the exchange of fire between the soldiers and the bandits. We came to the school and recovered 28 students, some of them hid in many places. Some of them in the course of taking them away, they escaped and they came back to the school.
“So the total number of students we recovered yesterday (Monday) were 28 and today (Tuesday) by the grace of God we had a call from the bandits and they assured us that our children are well and doing okay. In fact we had the privilege of speaking with few of them.
“They counted themselves in the jungle and they gave us information that they are 121 and when we put the number together with what we have recovered, we discovered that the number is exactly the same with the number of students we have in the hostel.”
“They called us to say that our children are there with them, they are doing well, they are sound, we spoke with a few of them, that is the information for now. We called the parents here to appreciate them for their patience, understanding and calmness and also solicit for their support in this trying moment. We assured them that as management we will do anything possible to bring back their children.
“I want to thank God because the parents are understanding. We are working together to see what we can do. For now we do not know what the bandits will say. They may call for ransom and we may have to negotiate and we have also agreed with the parents to work together in prayers and look up to God in this matter.
“We have informed Government about the matter and we had meeting with them also and they promised us that they would do everything possible to go for rescue mission and make sure the students are back,” he said.
