Bandits give ultimatum, demand release of detained commanders in exchange for Zamfara varsity students
Terrorists that abducted students from the Federal University Gusau (FUG) in Zamfara State have given seven days ultimatum with specific conditions for the release of the students in their captivity.
The bandits, having appointed a new leader, have communicated their demands, including the release of fellow commanders currently held by security forces.
The escalation in their ultimatum comes after what they perceive as a sluggish response from the government.
Parents of the abducted students are urgently calling on the federal government to intervene and negotiate with the bandits, drawing parallels with past engagements with non-state actors during the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.
The bandits have reportedly released WhatsApp messages, conveying their intent to harm some of the students if their demands are not met. These messages, attributed to the foot soldiers of the late bandit leader Ali Kachalla, explicitly linked the students’ safety to the release of their detained associates.
READ ALSO: Bandits in Zamfara abduct Danfodiyo Varsity final-year student, others
Ali Kachalla, responsible for the initial abduction of over 50 FUG students on September 21, 2023, was killed during a military operation on December 11. Since his death, the bandits, now under a new leader, are making ominous threats, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty regarding the fate of the abducted university students.
Several WhatsApp audio conversations reveal the bandits’ demands for the release of their detained members and their readiness to resort to violence if these conditions are not met. Despite ongoing mediation efforts, concerns are mounting for the safety and well-being of the abducted students who have been languishing in the kidnappers’ den since September.
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