Kidnappers of five pupils and four teachers of a school in Ekiti state, south-west Nigeria, have demanded 100m naira ($110,000; £87,500) ransom for their release.
Gabriel Adesanya, the proprietor of the Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, told the BBC that about 20 pupils were in the vehicle during the attack.
The kidnappers have threatened to take unknown actions against the schoolchildren if the ransom is not paid, Mr Adesanya told local media.
“Many of the parents cannot even afford one-tenth of the money. It’s a pathetic situation for the school and the community. We have not been able to resume classes since the attack,” he added.
One of the students who was on the bus during the attack on Monday told the BBC that the incident happened after school hours.
He said the kidnappers ordered them to disembark the bus before selecting the targets they wanted to take along with them.
President Bola Tinubu has ordered for the immediate rescue of the victims, assuring that such incidents will not recur.
Meanwhile, security chiefs have been summoned to appear before the senate next week over the spate of insecurity in the country.
Kidnapping for ransom has worsened in Nigeria in recent years with armed gangs targeting road travellers, students, as well as residents in rural and urban areas across the country.
Source:Fiilafmonline/BBC
