Kidnappers of Lagos school girls reduce ransom, as kidnappers spotted at Ogun by police

Indications emerged on Thursday that the kidnappers of three school girls at Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary (BMJS) might have reduced the ransom amount.
Timilehin Olosa, Tofunmi Popoolaniyan and Deborah Akinayo were abducted from the classrooms on Monday night by suspected pipeline vandals numbering about 10.
The criminals who made another contact at about 2:00am on Thursday to one of the victims’ parents pegged the amount at N10million, which is a far cry to the initial N200million demanded.
Our correspondent learnt that the school management had urged the criminals to collect one million Naira in exchange for the three girls but the hostage takers insisted on N10 million.
Some parents who were at the school premises to see their wards told The Nation that they were briefed by the school authorities that negotiations were ongoing and the girls were healthy.
This development, however, contradicted earlier claims that one of the girls had taken ill and was stooling and vomiting.
It was learnt that the abductors also gave the school specific location to drop the agreed ransom.
According to the parents, who refused to be named, the school was hopeful and prayers have been intensified so that God will touch the kidnappers to release the girls unhurt.
Meanwhile, a combined team of security operatives have been able to track the abductors to Arepo area of Ogun State.
The security operatives who have been working on the case was said to have narrowed the whereabouts of the kidnapped schoolgirls to the creek in Aleppo.
Aleppo is a notorious gangsters’ paradise especially for pipeline vandals who have turned the pipeline route into a hubble-bubble of sorts.
Several military personnels have been killed in the area by the vandals in the last few years.