Three of the abducted students of the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna State have been freed after payment of unspecified amounts of ransom.
The freed students who escaped from their initial abductors fell into the hands of another bandits who held them captive.
Confirming the situation to journalists on Tuesday night, Chairman of Kaduna Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) Rev Joseph Hayab said the three students escaped three days before 28 others were released on Sunday July 25.
Hayab, who described the situation as not only unfortunate but traumatic for the students, their parents and the church, said the three students were re-kidnapped by another group, who started a fresh ransom negotiation of N10 million with the parents.
He however said the kidnappers later reduced the ransom to N5 million and an undisclosed amount was paid before they were released.
The Nation gathered the three students, who are all male, were found by troops at the Kankumi forest General area in Chikun local government where they were abandoned by their second abductors.
The students, who are still in the hands of the troops, will be handed over to the school authorities.
Hayab said: “The children escaped from the camp of the bandits and fell into the hands of an evil person who kidnapped them again, the children escaped before the 28 were released but when they fell into the hands of this evil persons they kept them and started asking for new money.
“The three that were kidnapped were not released by bandits, they escaped from the bandits hand three days before the 28 were released but sadly they fell into another evil Nigerians who kept them and we were begging and negotiating with him.
“They initially asked for N10 million then it was reduced to N5 million and finally we came to an amount that we agreed.
“They were kidnapped and re-kidnapped by another group, so these children have suffered and that is why Nigerians must help us to see that the other 80 who are still with the bandits return immediately because it is not fair what the children are passing through.”
