TheCable

Six out of 136 abducted students of Salihu Tanko Islamiyya, Tegina, Niger state have been reported dead.

The students were kidnapped on May 30 from the Islamic school in Tegina, Rafi  local government area of the state.

Abubakar Alhassan, the school principal, was said to have disclosed that the bandits called to notify him of the death of the children.

Alhassan said the bandits disclosed the children died of illness, asking that the demanded ransom be paid for the release of the other children in captivity.

Abubakar Adam, a father of seven children who are currently in captivity was said to have further confirmed the development.

The bandits had earlier demanded the sum of N110 million but later raised the ransom figure to N200 million.

The parents of the abducted children were said to have paid N30 million naira as ransom to the bandits who refused to release the children.

TheCable had earlier reported that residents of Alawa community in Shiroro LGA alleged sighting children on several motorcycles around the region.

The Niger state government had promised to intensify efforts to rescue the children.

Niger has come under bandit threats with several attacks on communities and with many persons displaced across the state.