By Evelyn Usman, Daud Olatunji & Ifeanyi Okolie

LAGOS—KIDNAPPERS of eight students and two members of staff of the Nigerian Turkish International College, NTIC, Isheri, Ogun State, have demanded N1.2 billion ransom for the release of the abducted persons.

With the police on the heels of the abductors, the identities of those kidnapped have been revealed. They include: A Turkish Mathematics teacher identified simply as Miss Deria; the House mistress, Miss Rashida Ibrahim and the cook identified simply as Miss Shekura.

Others are five students, all girls – Rebceca Agu, a Senior Secondary School 2 student; Nwosu Teslie, a Junior Secondary School 1 student; Zainab Olatubosun, a Junior Secondary School 2 student; Rodia Amina and Aderitan Alnad, both scholarship students of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board JAMB. Two more are unnamed at press time.

Ransom

Vanguard was reliably informed that the kidnappers contacted the school on Saturday, demanding for N1.2 billion for the release of the abducted persons. They demanded N100 million for the release of each of the Nigerian hostages, while N300 million was demanded for that of the Turkish national.

There were indications that the gunmen dug a hole under the fence through which they gained entrance into the school located close to a swamp but could not immediately enter inside the dormitory as the doors were locked.

An opportunity came when two students opened the door to urinate, only to be accosted by the gunmen.

One of the students, who gave a blow-by-blow account of how the gunmen stormed the hostel, revealed that she narrowly escaped being a victim.

From left: Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa; Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs.) Yetunde Onanuga and Principal, Nigerian Tullip International School, Mr. Yunus Dogan when the deputy governor led a delegation of government officials to the school yesterday following the kidnap of some of its students and teachers

The SSS student said they told them to raise their hands up and ordered them not to move but they did not heed the instruction. One of them ran to the room while the other ran into the House mistress’ room. They followed the latter inside the House mistress’ room where they met two other students who were ironing their clothes. They asked all of them to keep quiet and ordered them to go outside, assuring them that they won’t be hurt. They also told them to act as if they were the school’s Police.

‘’As they were leaving, a student who came out of her room to know what was going on was also picked up. They came back again to get more students. But then, only the Mathematics teacher, a Turkish was found as every other person went into hiding. I escaped being a victim by providence. I was at the corridor when they came. They were more than 10 and none of them was masked,” she said.

Police close-in on abductors

Meanwhile, Vanguard gathered that the security forces are closing in on the kidnappers.

The Inspector General of Police, IGP’s intelligence response team is said to be on ground providing necessary support for combatants combing the environment for possible clues.

Authoritative sources also told Vanguard, yesterday, that the abductors were mainly former pipeline vandals in Ikorodu, Arepo and other parts of Ogun and Lagos states, who were dislodged through military action, last year.

Military and Police operatives, in a joint operation, bombarded the creeks in Arepo area of Ogun State and Ikorodu area of Lagos as part of the battle to flush out oil pipeline vandals from the areas.

This led to many of the vandals turning to kidnapping and bank robberies for survival.

Also, sources in the school told Vanguard that when the final census of victims was taken, a total of 10 victims, made up of students and staff of the school were involved and not eight as earlier reported.

Secret ransom negotiation ongoing

Also, yesterday, there was a strong indication that the kidnappers have contacted the management of the school demanding for ransom.

Vanguard gathered that the kidnappers contacted the management of the school on Saturday and again yesterday, demanding for N1.2 billion as ransom before the release of the victims.

It was gathered that the gunmen stormed the premises of the school located in a swampy area covered with bush around 9.20 p.m on Friday and made away with 10 persons including regular students and others who were preparing for Joint Admission and Matriculation Board exams and members of staff.

When asked whether the kidnappers have reached out to either the parents or the management of the school, the source disclosed that, they have contacted the management to make their demand.

The source said: “Both the management and the security agencies are coordinating the matter. They did not tell us the actual amount the kidnappers are demanding, but, they told us that they have made their demand.

“Please help us pray to God for the release of our people on time,” the source requested.

Meanwhile, the Police have kept mum over whether the Kidnappers have made their demand or not, saying, newsmen would be told when there is new development.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi told Vanguard on phone that there was no new development at press time.