The gunmen who invaded Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi in Kaduna State, have rejected nine bags of rice as well as other food items offered by the school.
The Vice-Principal of the school, Wakili Madugu, who disclosed this during an interview with newsmen yesterday, said he received a call at 7.30 am on Tuesday shortly after the students had been abducted and was assured of their safety.
The school official said the abductors had demanded food items with which they would feed the students.
He further stated that the bandits said authorities had blocked their access to food and therefore demanded that the school and the parents make food items available.
“They said we should bring 10 bags of imported rice, 20 bags of local rice, 20 bags of beans and then 10 cartons of Maggi (seasoning) and then 10 kegs of oil as well as two bags of salt. These were the items they demanded”, he stated.
Madugu, however, said the school did not have all the items demanded because they had exhausted almost all their foodstuffs ahead of the school’s closure this week, adding that the school was able to make some of the items available but the bandits rejected them.
Madugu said members of the Joint Task Force, (JTF), had been guarding the school and they actually engaged the bandits in a gun duel on Tuesday, but were overpowered by the superior firepower of the assailants. He explained that the bandits did not come in vehicles but actually marched the students out of the school.
The vice-principal denied the allegation that the State government had asked the school to close down before the incident.
He added that the kidnappers had not yet made any demand for a ransom.
