The Director of Public Affairs, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Mallam Auwal Umar, has confirmed the release of the nine abducted students of the institution on Sunday, November 22.

The students, who were from the Department of French of the institution, were traveling to Lagos for a program at the Nigerian French Language Village, Badagry when they were abducted along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway.

Umar disclosed that the victims regained their freedom on Saturday.

It was gathered that, some of the parents paid about N500,000, while others paid between N1m and N4m. According to reports, the bandits also demanded a certain number of soft drinks crates and cartons of milk from each parent.

A parent who claimed to be part of the team which delivered the ransom, said the kidnappers first directed them to Abuja junction. On arriving in Kaduna, they were told that security personnel were monitoring the bandits in the bush, but surprisingly, the place was unsecured.