Bandits who abducted students from Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi in Kaduna State, have rejected food supplied to them by the school.
On Tuesday, just a day after the abduction, the bandits contacted the school to assure the safety of the students, they then asked the school to send food supplies to feed the students.
He further stated that the bandits said authorities had blocked their access to food and therefore demanded that the school and the parents make food items available.
Providing an update on the abduction on Thursday, the Vice-Principal of the school, Wakili Madugu, during an interview on Nigeria Info Abuja 95.1fm said nine bags of rice, as well as other food items offered by the school, were rejected by the bandits.
He said, “They said we should bring 10 bags of imported rice, 20 bags of local rice, 20 bags of beans and then 10 cartons of Maggi (seasoning) and then 10 kegs of oil as well as two bags of salt. These were the items they demanded.”
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Madugu, however, said the school did not have all the items demanded because they have exhausted almost all their foodstuffs ahead of the school’s closure this week.
“The school had no more food because we were preparing to close the school in less than four days. So, the food items were not up to what they (abductors) were demanding. So, we sought assistance from some of the parents and we did our best,” he added.
“As of today, we have nine bags of rice, one sack of beans, two cartons of Maggi (seasoning), two kegs of palm oil and a bag of salt. They told me to bring the items yesterday (Wednesday) and so I called them around 7 pm and they asked me how far.
“I told them this is what we have on hand and they started insulting me, threatening me and they switched off the phone. That means what I have is not enough.”
When quizzed on the efforts the school had made to ensure the safety of the students, Madugu said members of the Joint Task Force had been guarding the school and they engaged the bandits in a gun duel on Tuesday but they were overpowered by the superior firepower of the assailants.
He added that the bandits did not come in vehicles but actually marched the students out of the school.
