Metro

Abductors of Nigerian school children demand ransom, issue deadline

Published

2 months ago

March 15, 2024

Terrorists who kidnapped 287 students and their teachers from the Local Education Authority Primary School and the Government Secondary School in Kaduna State, North-West Nigeria, on March 7, have demanded for N1bn ransom for their release.

The bandits also gave the distraught parents and families of their victims a March 27 deadline for the payment of the amount or they would kill all the captives.

This threat was brought to light when the bandits reportedly contacted family members of one of the victims and made their demands.

A leader in the Kuriga community where the abductions took place, Jubril Aminu, who acts as a spokesman for the families of the hostages, told journalists that he received a call from the kidnappers on Tuesday where they laid out their demands.

Aminu said the terrorists were emphatic about their demands and swore they would kill their victims if their demands are not met by the deadline.

“They made a total of N1bn ransom demand for all the pupils, students, and staff of the school,” Aminu stated.

“They gave an ultimatum to pay the ransom within 20 days, effective from the date of the kidnap, March 7. They said they would kill all the students and the staff if the ransom demand is not met.”

Also confirming the development, the Councillor representing Kuriga Ward in the Chikun Local Gornment Area of Kaduna State, Idris Ibrahim, said:

“Yes, the kidnappers called the community through Jubril Aminu’s number and made the demand.

“They called from a hidden number but the authorities are working on getting the number,” Ibrahim said, adding that security forces were taking adequate measures to secure the release of the students.

However, there is palpable tension in the Kuriga community as the residents have been thrown into fear and despair following the demand of the bandits.

A resident who spoke to journalists on the condition of anonymity, said the people are in a dilemma as there is no way they can possibly raise the ransom money before the deadline given by the bandits.

“After the disclosure by a community leader, Jibril Aminu, to the Kuriga people, there has been a lot of tension in Kuriga, particularly among the parents of abducted students of that particular community.

“They are in a state of trauma. They need oxygen to survive, that is the stage we can describe how they are.

“Saying that the kidnappers need N1bn, honestly speaking, it is a huge amount of money and the community does not have the money to pay. One of the parents (a woman) of the abducted students is terribly sick because her main concern is her daughter who left the house without breakfast.

“There is an apprehension among Kuriga people. They said the government has abandoned them,’’ he said.

Another resident decried what he calls the silence of the government and security agencies to the plight of the victims and their families.

He also expressed concern about those behind the abduction of the students.

“Who kidnapped these students? It is now established that ISWAP is behind the abduction of Kuriga students and teachers. Some said that those people who abducted the train passengers are responsible for this issue.

“Honestly, there is a conspiracy of silence regarding these abducted Kuriga students. Nobody, even the politicians are not talking about the abducted school children,” he noted.

Related Topics:#bandits Deadline Featured Kaduna Ransom Terrorists

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Metro

Chipata youth calls for stronger media protections amid concerns over media independence

Published

6 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Alepha Banda, a programmes officer at the Youth Development Foundation (YDF), says Zambia’s existing laws do not adequately safeguard journalists, thereby impeding media freedoms and their ability to report objectively.

Banda also argued that journalists’ lack of economic stability makes them susceptible to manipulation.

In an interview with Zambia Monitor in the Eastern Province, Banda stated the need for the government to develop policies aimed at protecting private media entities and journalists.

“The government should formulate a policy that will protect the private media and journalists,” he said.

Moreover, Banda pointed out that although individuals theoretically possess the freedom to express themselves, this liberty was frequently curtailed by factors such as fear and threats emanating from certain members of the political class.

“Individuals in positions of power have a tendency to interfere with the media, as evidenced by numerous incidents where media outlets have been stormed by individuals affiliated with certain political factions,” he said.

Nevertheless, he noted that there had been instances where the government respected media freedoms.

“At least we have seen some tolerance in some instances, where the government has not taken action that hinders media freedom,” he stated.

Additionally, Banda mentioned that the marginalised were often overlooked both in new media platforms and traditional mainstream media outlets.

“The marginalised are often neglected across television, radio, and newspapers,” he said.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

Nigeria may need to raise supplementary budget to be able pay minimum wage— IMF

Published

13 hours ago

May 14, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the Nigerian government may need to raise a supplementary budget to be able to pay the proposed minimum wage increase for workers.

The IMF which gave the advise in its latest staff country report for Nigeria on Monday, said a supplementary budget was necessary because the negotiated amount for the wage increase may surpass the budgeted amount in the original 2024 budget.

“The authorities noted that a supplementary budget may be needed to accommodate the outcome of the ongoing wage structure negotiations which may exceed what they had included in the 2024 budget,” the report said.

“Staff projects a higher fiscal deficit than anticipated in the 2024 budget, but broadly unchanged from 2023. The drivers are lower oil/gas revenue projections, reflecting IMF oil price forecasts but incorporating recent production gains; higher implicit fuel and electricity subsidies; continued suspension of excise measures included in the MTEF; and higher interest costs,” the agency noted.

The report also noted that the government might need to raise the domestic and external borrowing ceilings to prevent fresh borrowings from the apex bank’s Ways and Means.

“Over the medium-term, staff projects consolidation in the non-oil primary deficit. With rising interest costs, government debt stabilises towards the end of the projection period.

“Staff factors in an under-execution of capital expenditure in line with past outcomes and estimates an FGN deficit of 4.5 per cent of GDP relative to the 2024 budget target of 3.4 per cent of GDP.

“For the consolidated government, this implies a projected deficit of 4.7 per cent of GDP in 2024—compared to 4.8 per cent of GDP in 2023 measured from the financing side—which is appropriate given the large social needs and factoring in a realistic pace of revenue mobilisation.

“Based on staff’s projections, the authorities must raise the domestic and external borrowing ceilings to prevent renewed recourse to CBN financing.

“With higher interest rates, banks and nonbanks should have sufficient appetite—as indicated by market sources—conditional on careful management of system liquidity, including a likely reduction in the currently high cash reserve requirement.”

Organised labour in the country has continued to clamour for an increase in the minimum wage for government workers.

Labour leaders have demanded for N615,000 from N30,000 as salaries for lowest ranked workers, while a tripartite committee set up by the government have mulled N70,000 as the new minimum wage.

Despite the government allocating N6.48tn for personnel cost in the 2024 budget, the international lender argues that the amount may be insufficient, which could force the government to come up with a supplementary budget to fund the deficit, the report added.