Igbo Nla Model College Kidnap: Family Begs To Swap Relative For Sick Student In Kidnappers’ Den

Family members of sick student that was abducted by suspected militants from the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, in Eredo Local Council Development Area of Epe last week (read here) have appealed to the abductors to release their son for treatment, saying they are ready to swap another family member for the captive.

This is just as the abductors told the families on Monday that the health condition of the schoolboy, reported to be sick, had worsened. The ransoms demanded for the six victims had also been reduced to N6m.

A source said the kidnappers gave them a 48-hour ultimatum to pay, as the condition of the sick schoolboy had worsened.

”The boy’s family has been able to raise some money and they were begging the gunmen to accept what they had. I hope the kidnappers will have mercy and consider the condition of the sick pupil, and let him go,” the source said.

Reports from Vanguard claims that the boy’s family said it had managed to raise N1 million, which was contributed by relatives and friends.

A strange call, suspected to be from the kidnappers, was received at 1.35 p.m. yesterday, but the person at the other end was said to be silent.

”My sister received a call. But the person refused to talk. Even at that, she begged the unknown caller to release our relative. She told them that we have been able to raise N1 million and are ready to swap any of us with the ailing relative.

Another call also came at 6.15p.m., where the caller warned that their patience was being over-stretched, following the delay in payment of ransom. … as students return to school,” a relative, who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

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Meanwhile, some students whose parents hurriedly took home in panic last Thursday returned to the school yesterday. Most of those sighted were Junior Secondary School 1 students, who were resuming for the new term.

Security operatives in the school include officers of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and two neighbourhood watch vans that drove in at 11a.m. to take over from their colleagues that had been on ground.

A female member of staff of the school said: ”You can’t abandon your home because something bad happened. All you need do is to beef up security. This is our home and these are our children too. Not to carry on with activities is to put tension in the children.”