Somtochukwu

The Principal of Government Day Secondary School, Lere, in the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Iliyasu Suleiman, has resigned to fate over the inability of his family to raise N50m being demanded by his abductors.

The 50-year-old principal was with the Auditor General of Bauchi State, Abdu-Usman Aliyu, the AG’s son, daughter and two others, in Kardam, when the gunmen attacked their vehicle.

The assailants attempted to kidnap the auditor-general, but when he resisted, they shot him in the mouth.

The gunmen, who thought he was dead, left him in a pool of blood and kidnapped his son and the principal, while other occupants of the car escaped.

The 25-year old son of the auditor general, Zulkifiru, escaped from captivity on Monday, leaving the principal with the kidnappers.

The attorney general is still battling for his life at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital.

The family of the kidnapped principal, in a SOS message made available to journalists on Wednesday, stated that unless they were able to pay the N50m ransom, the kidnappers would kill their breadwinner.

“He has never seen N1m in his life, but the kidnappers have vowed to kill him if, within two days, his family did not bring N50m.

“His helpless family are calling for the intervention of the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and well meaning individuals,” the message read in part.

In an audio recording made available to our correspondent by the family, the kidnapped principal was heard directing his wife to do everything possible to raise the ransom.

He also urged her to approach the state Ministry of Education, his employers, for intervention.

Suleiman, in the audio, directed her to sell his house to raise the sum, saying he was not comfortable where he was being held.

“You don’t know the situation I am in at the moment; just go and sell my house. I believe you can hear how they are beating me. Like I told you, sell my house, otherwise, these people will kill me,” he told his wife.
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In her response, the visibly shaken woman regretted that so far she was only able to raise N200,000, while the car was priced at N200,000, an amount she was expected to collect to make up the amount.

She stated in the audio that when she approached the education ministry, “they told me that the only amount in the account was N30,000.”

The principal responded that since she could not raise a substantial amount of money, “I think I’ll just bid you farewell.”

She was heard thrice saying, “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un,” meaning, we belong to Allah, and to him shall we return.

A voice at the background of the phone conversation was heard saying, “If you don’t bring the money, we will kill him.”

The state Commissioner of Education, Dr Aliyu Tilde, did not take his phone which rang out.

Efforts to get the Bauchi State Police Command failed, as its spokesman, DSP Ahmed Wakil, did not respond to calls or reply messages sent to his phone number.

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