By our reporter/ Fifteen more abducted students of Bethel Baptist Secondary School in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state have regained their freedom.
The children, who appeared frail, weak and malnourished, reconnected with their families amid tears on Sunday.
Bandits had on July 5 attacked the school and took away 121 students from their hostels.
The bandits released 28 of them on July 25, after a ransom was allegedly paid to the kidnappers. The rest managed to escape from the captors between July 22 and August 3.
The release of the 15 students brings the total number of those freed so far to 56 while 65 others are still in captivity.
Israel Akanji, president of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, said 63 of the students are still in captivity.
“Although the number was smaller than what we were expecting because we had 78 children out there. They had earlier given us 15, that means 63 to come,” he said.
“But in everything, God said we should give thanks and we are giving thanks for what he has done. We are trusting that the same God who has brought these 15 out is going to help us to receive the other 63.
“We have great hope in God, we will keep praying and asking God for help.”
Ishaya Jangado, president of the Kaduna Baptist Conference and proprietor of the school, clarified the mix-up in the number of students still being held by the bandits.
“Between the time 28 of the students were released on July 25 and now, some of them escaped,” he said.
“That is why the figures did not tally with what we told you earlier.”
Jangado declined to divulge any information on the alleged N50 million paid as ransom for the release of the students.
“I don’t know anything about that but what I know is that the bandits are asking us to give them something,” he said.
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