Parents and family members of the remaining kidnapped students and workers of the Greenfield University, Kaduna State, said they were forced to sell their property to raise ransom as the remaining victims regained freedom.
It was learnt that the bandits collected N180m ransom and eight new motorcycles.
The 13 students and three staff members of the privately-owned university were released by the bandits on Saturday afternoon some few kilomtres away from the school along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway.
They were abducted on April 20, 2021.
Bandits had invaded the university, killing an official before kidnapping 19 students and three female workers of the institution.
Few days later, five of the students were killed by the bandits for failure of the parents to raise the N800m ransom demanded by the bandits.
The spokesperson for the Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Mohammed Jalige, confirmed the release of the remaining students and workers after 39 days in captivity.
When asked of his health status, the police spokesman said once debriefed, “we will get back to you.”
Although the police were silent on whether or not a ransom was paid, it was learnt that parents paid some unspecified amount to the bandits who earlier demanded N800m ransom.
The bandits, however, reduced the ransom to N100m and 10 motorcycles and later asked the parents to pay N10m for each victim.
But our correspondent gathered from reliable sources that the parents paid ransom and provided eight brand new motorcycles to the bandits before the students regained their freedom.
Saturday Punch gathered that the bandits dropped the 13 students and three staff of the university at around a company from where the security operatives guarding the multi-million dollar firm.
Trouble started when the company security refused the parents who came to pick up their children, insisting that the students would be handed to the police.
The angry parents broke into the company and took their children away amid jubilation.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved parents blamed both the federal and state governments as well as the Nigeria Police Force for the alleged non-challant attitude to secure the victims’ release.
They said they had to sell their assets to secure the release of their children from the bandits, who had earlier vowed to kill them if their demands were not met.
One of the freed staff members, Mrs Bassey, thanked God that they were returned safely and reunited with their families.