The parents of the students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Mando, in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have vowed to negotiate with the bandits that abducted their children.
They condemned the statement credited to the Kaduna State Government that it won’t negotiate with bandits.
Recall that the government had stated it never appointed anybody to negotiate on its behalf with bandits, vowing to prosecute anyone found engaging in negotiation.
But while addressing a press conference on the matter on Monday, the parents said the government was insensitive to their plight and vowed to negotiate with the bandits for their children’s freedom
Chairman and Secretary of a group formed by the parents, Sam Kambai and Sanni Friday, respectively, spoke on behalf of others at the briefing.
“Today (Monday) makes it 25 dreary and excruciatingly difficult days since our children have been in captivity. We have not received any words of empathy or assurance from government or have we seen any action to inspire confidence that something is being done to secure the safe release of our children.
“For the record, the governor of Kaduna State has never addressed the parents of these students from the first day of the incident until now,” the parents said.
They added that a government official later told them that the administration would not negotiate with bandits after they organised a protest on 22nd March, 2021.
“We wish to reiterate that we will do everything within our power to ensure that our children do not perish.
“Let us be clear, it is due to the failure of government to live up to its primary responsibility of securing life and property that we have this ugly development in our hands. For government not to do everything to secure the release of the students 25 days after their abduction, and for government to keep the parents in the dark, smacks of gross insensitivity,” they added.
Meanwhile, five abducted students of school have been rescued.
The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, announced this on Monday.
Aruwan said the five students were rescue by the military, adding that they were currently undergoing check-up at an undisclosed military facility.
The commissioner in a statement titled, ‘Five of the kidnapped students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation recovered…Undergoing thorough medical check-up at a military facility,’ said, “The Nigerian military has informed the Kaduna State Government that five of the many kidnapped students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna, were recovered this afternoon and are presently in a military facility where they are undergoing a thorough medical check-up.
“The Kaduna State Government will provide updates on further operational feedback to be received on this case.”
On March 11, 2021, the bandits invaded the school located opposite the Nigerian Defence Academy along the Kaduna International Airport Road and abducted the students.
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