Form Five Students Kidnapped in K’ba Days to GCE Exams

-Fcfa 5m demanded as ransom

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Form Five Students Kidnapped

Gunmen with doubtful identity have kidnapped a form five student in Kumba, Chief Town of Meme Division in the restive Southwest Region.

                The incident occurred at about 3:30pm on Friday 4 May. The student whose only name we got as Benita was taken to an unknown destination on board a motorbike. She was seized and taken away as she was returning from school in the company of her mates.

                The unfortunate incident occurred as the written part of the 2019 GCE exams were to start on Monday throughout the country.

                The Kidnappers have demanded FCFA 5 million as ransom, we learned.

                Family sources said the young girl is tall and light in complexion.

                Her father whose only name we got as Chinedu is a businessman of Nigerian nationality. Chinedu was on a business trip to Nigeria at the time of the child’s kidnap.

                The kidnappers have promised to kill the child if the ransom is not paid by Tuesday May 28.

                During the early hours of Saturday May 25, sources close to the family revealed to The Median that the abductors had reduced the ransom from FCFA 5 million to 1.5 million francs.

                No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnap. But accusing fingers are pointing at separatist fighters.

                The town of Kumba has so far recorded several cases of abductions of students, teachers and school principals since the escalation on the ongoing crisis.

                The crisis has forced many schools to shutdown. Only few government schools are operating under tight security. Many students from private institutions have been forced into government schools were there exist relative security.