The gunmen who kidnapped students of Greenfield University in Kaduna have threatened to kill the remaining 17 students if ransom is not paid soon.
The gunmen attacked the institution on April 18 and abducted some students.
The state is yet to confirm the exact number of students taken hostage.
The kidnappers have killed five of the students while negotiating an N800 million ransom with the parents.
Speaking in a telephone conversation with the Hausa service of the Voice of America (VOA), one Sani Idris Jalingo who identified himself as the leader of the bandits, said 17 of the students are still in their custody.
He said the families of the students had already paid N55 million which he claims was used to feed the abductees.
He further demanded a ransom of N100 million and 10 motorcycles, warning that if the Kaduna State government or the victimsâ families fail to meet their demands by Tuesday, the remaining students will be killed.
He said five of the students were killed to prove that the state and the federal governments have failed.
âWe heard the utterances of the Kaduna State Governor that he will not pay ransom to bandits to purchase additional arms,â Jalingo said in Hausa.
âHe also said he told his family that he will not pay ransom if any of them is kidnapped. So, we want to show that the Nigerian Government has failed that is why we killed the students.â
One of the students, Abigail Usman, who spoke during the telephone conversation, appealed to the government to pay the ransom and secure their release.
âIf they donât get the money, they will kill us all,â Usman said.
