Nigerian Gunmen Who Kidnapped Schoolchildren Are Demanding 1 Billion Naira Ransom

Militants who last week abducted 286 schoolchildren and staff in northern Nigeria have demanded a total of 1 billion naira (Sh89,368,184) for their release, Jubril Aminu, the local counselor who acts as a spokesman for the families of the hostages told media.

Another local official, Idris Ibrahim, an elected official from the Kuriga Ward municipal council, told the media that the militants were making demand calls from an unauthorized number, but authorities were working to identify it.

On Monday, 61 people were abducted in an attack by gunmen on Budu, a community in Kaduna State. The abductees included women, children and a nursing mother, according to the locals.

In Nigeria, the terrorist group Boko Haram, which has been active in the West African country since 2002, has been known to kidnap and kill people. In March 2015, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the terrorist group Daesh and changed its name to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). In 2016, however, Boko Haram redefined itself as a separate group.