The abducted students of the College of Agriculture and Animal Sciences in Bakura, Zamfara State, have appealed to the state governor, Bello Matawalle, to pay the ransom demanded by bandits within 24 hours.
The bandits are demanding N350 million for the release of 15 students and one staff kidnapped at the school in the early hours of Monday.
In a 30-second video clip posted by Channels Television on Wednesday, the students who spoke in Hausa language, said the abductors are threatening to kill them if the ransom is not paid in 24 hours.
They also said the bandits took them to see dead bodies of those who had been killed for failing to pay ransom.
“We are the students of the College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Bakura that were abducted by the bandits,” one of the students who spokes in Hausa, said.
“You can see the conditions we are in. They are threatening to kill us if the government does not produce the ransom in 24 hours. The bandits even took us to see the dead bodies of those they have killed.”
In the footage, the students and staff of the college were seen squatting, while being surrounded by heavily armed men.
After the video emerged, Ibrahim Dosara, Commissioner for Information in Zamfara, said the state government will do everything possible to secure the release of the abducted students and staff of the college.
He said a joint team of security agencies have commenced a search and rescue operation.
He blamed the recent increase in attacks by bandits on the military operations against the criminals in the North-west.
Four staff were of the school were abducted by the gunmen, but the police said three of them were later rescued.
