Police arrest three suspects involved in abduction of Bethel Baptist School in Kaduna
Three men alleged to have played a part in the July 5 attack on the Bethel Baptist School in Kaduna have been paraded by the police in the state.
Suspected bandits had attacked the Bethel Baptist School on Monday, July 5, 2021 and in the process abducting over 60 students of the boarding institution.
So far, 28 of the students have been freed upon the payment of ransom by their parents, as the abductors have refused to release all the abductees in their custody.
On Friday, Police Command in Kaduna State announced the arrest of three men suspected to have participated in the mass kidnapping of the students from the Bethel Baptist School in the state.
Police Public Relations Officer for the Kaduna Command, Mohammed Jalige, said, Friday, that one of the arrested suspects watched the campus to determine the best time for the attack, which was carried out by the other members of the gang, armed with assault rifles.
According to Jalige, a search of the homes of the suspects uncovered a cache of automatic rifles.
The arrested suspects further disclosed that the purpose of the kidnapping was to demand cash ransom.
Jalige revealed that investigations are ongoing in a bid to unmask other members of the gang, adding that the suspects would be charged to court afterwards.
The attack on Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna State was the fourth mass school kidnap in Kaduna state since December 2020.
Bandits on Monday, July 5 attacked the school located on the outskirts of the Kaduna state capital, whisking away over 150 students.
The gunmen also shot two soldiers dead.
“An officer of the Nigerian Army, Private Salisu Rabiu and that of the Navy, Ordinary Seaman Bilal Mohammed were killed by the bandits after the attack,” a source said.
Last Saturday, September 18, barely a month after freeing the first 15 out of the 65 students abducted from the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna, the abductors released another set of 10 children kidnapped from the institution back in July.
Bandits reportedly released 10 more students kidnapped from the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna after allegedly collecting ransom payments from the parents of the abducted students.
Confirming the release of the students, in Kaduna, Saturday, the school’s administrator, Kaduna Chapter Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. John Hayab disclosed that 21 students from the school were still in the custody of the bandits.
Equally important, Hayab confirmed the payment of a ransom for the release of the students.
Specifically, he claimed that undisclosed ransom was paid to release eight students, even as he said two others were set free due to ill health.
In August, the bandits had released 15 students from the school after a group of 28 was set free in July, following the release of a first group of 28 two days after the raid.
In all, about 150 students were kidnapped from the Bethel Baptist School after armed gunmen stormed the school and proceeded to raid the hostels, and abducting the students.
In August, the Kaduna Chapter Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. John Hayab, has disclosed that 15 students of the Bethel Baptist High School in the state have regained their freedom from the hands of their abductors.
Hayab who disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Kaduna, said that they are still waiting for the remaining 50 students of the school who were kidnapped in the July 5 raid.
“Fifteen more students were released on Saturday night and 65 students are still with the bandits,” he said.
Confirming the development, Mohammed Jalige, said 15 students of the school have been freed by their abductors.
Jalige, however, said that he cannot confirm whether ransom was paid by the parents before the students’ release or not.
“We are not aware of that,” he said.
