From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Five out of the 39 kidnapped students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna, have been recovered by the military.
They were abducted from the school hostels second week of March by gunmen who demanded N50 million ransom.
Report said the five students recovered yesterday afternoon were undergoing medical check-up at a military facility in Kaduna.
A statement by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said government would provide updates on further operational feedback to be received on ths case
However, against warning of Governor Nasir el-Rufai, parents of the students have vowed to negotiate with bandits to secure the release of their remaing children.
El-Rufai had said: “We will not engage with bandits or kidnappers. Private citizens like clerics and clergymen can do so in their individual capacities. We also want them to repent but it is not our job to ask them to do so.”
But the parents, who had earlier staged a protest to demand the release of their children, during a press briefing in Kaduna, yesterday, said they would do everything within their power to secure the release of the students.
Sam Kambai, who spoke on behalf of the parents, also accused the state government of abandoning them to their fate.
“If we have the means of reaching the bandits, we will negotiate with them. We are ready to negotiate the lives of our children. We will not allow (the) government to destroy our children in the bush. We are also working hard to get their contacts.
“Today makes it 25 dreary and excruciatingly difficult days since our children have been in captivity. 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. They have shown no concern about the trauma the parents have been enduring.
“As parents, we cannot just sit down and do nothing. We will do everything within our capacity to ensure the safe release of our children. We wish to reiterate that we will do everything within our power, everything humanly possible, with the help of God, to ensure our children do not perish,” Kambai said.
• CAN chairman tasks el-Rufai on banditry, kidnapping
Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State chapter, Joseph Hayab, has called on Governor el-Rufai to send security agents after the bandits to rescue kidnapped victims in their (bandits) camps across the state.
Answering questions from newsmen, yesterday, shortly after an Easter prayer session to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and to pray for the release of the kidnapped victims, Hayab said the governor should not forget he took oath of office to protect lives and property.
Earlier, different prayer points were offered by various pastors who are members of the State CAN for the freedom of the kidnapped persons.
To this end, the CAN chairman urged the governor not to waste time more than necessary to ensure the freedom of the affected persons in kidnappers’ den.
“All we are saying is that the governor should ensure the kidnapped students and all those kidnapped in the state are back home. We never asked the governor to negotiate with bandits, but should use the might of government to free the victims.
“These bandits are hiding somewhere, killing our people. The governor should go after the bandits, they will be on the run, and while they are on the run, they will forget that they have victims in their camps, but because nobody is after them, rather, the bandits are being worshipped, they continue to do the worst.
“These bandits are being honoured, respected and that is why they are showing the whole world that they have arrived. When you are in situation like this, and you don’t speak good languages, your chance of finding solutions will be very difficult.
“What have I said about banditry that is not the truth that the governor is accusing me of telling lies. Can the governor tell me one that is not the truth. If he can tell me one that is not the truth, that is when I will stop talking. If I tell you that something is wrong with your roof, there is fire on your roof, has it become an offence? If I tell you your roof is leaking, do something, the rain is coming, has it become an offence? If I tell you your people are in danger, they are being killed, their lives are being threatened, has it become an offence? What have we said that has become an offence?”