Days after hundreds of girls were abducted by the terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno state, hundreds of young pupils were kidnapped last Thursday from a school in Kuriga, a town in north-western Kaduna state.

According to reports, the pupils were in the assembly ground on Thursday morning when they were set upon by dozens of gunmen. Confirmed by Kaduna state governor, Uba Sani, 187 students were taken from the secondary school side of the premises, and 125 were taken from the local primary school. A teacher was also taken.

The kidnappers have now “made a total of a ₦1 billion (about $620,000) ransom demand for all the pupils, students and staff of the school,” saysJubril Aminu, a community leader who acts as a spokesperson for the families of the hostages.

Aminu added that the kidnappers gave an ultimatum of 20 days for the ransom to be paid, starting from the date of the kidnap. “They said they will kill all the students and staff if the ransom demand is not met,” Aminu said.

For several years, criminal gangs, referred to as bandits by the Nigerian press, have terrorized Nigeria’s northwest through rampant kidnap-for-ransom schemes. The abducted 286 students and staff — 25 students have since returned and one more died from severe gunshot injuries — is one of the highest school kidnapping tallies in the years since 276 girls were abducted in Chibok, Borno state, back in 2014.

Meanwhile, Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has stated his resolve to not pay any ransom to the kidnappers. Information Minister Mohammed Idrissaid this while addressing journalists on Wednesday, before the kidnappers’ ransom demands were made public. “Mr. President has also directed that no ransom will be paid by the government. I think it’s important that this be put out there,” Idris said, adding that Tinubu had directed security agencies to ensure the kidnapped students and staff are freed.