Jubilation has trailed the release of the remaining 29 students of College of Forestry Mechanisation kidnapped from their hostels at Afaka, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State on March 11.
Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed their release last night but declined to make further comment until today when details would be made available to the public.
Ten of the students had earlier regained their freedom in two batches
Parents of the freed children who were contacted also declined comments until their children were fully reunited with them.
Reacting, Publicity Secretary, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) Emmanuel Yawe expressed regret that President Muhammadu Buhari could not keep his promise that abduction of schoolchildren in Jangebe, Zamfara State would be the last.
“When President Muhammadu Buhari made the pronouncement after the Jangebe kidnap in Zamfara, the media asked me if he was right to say so. My reply then which remains the same is that Mr President was/is not God. Only God can say precisely what will happen tomorrow. Of course, we are all aware that more kidnappings have occurred regardless. Parents of the kidnapped students came to our office when we were holding our National Working Committee at our national headquarters in Kaduna and we prayed for the release of their children and promised to help. Only the parents can talk of governments’ response to their plight and that of their children. We can only pray that no Nigerian should go through this kind of emotional trauma again. We rejoice with the freed students, their parents and extended families.”
Also reacting, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna, Reverend John Hayab, called on both the federal and state governments to secure schools and other public facilities to prevent a repeat of the unfortunate developments.