Sola Ojo, Kaduna
Distressed parents of the six students and two teachers of Engravers College, Kakau Daji, Kaduna, have blamed the continuous detention of their children in the kidnappers’ den on the government’s pronouncement on the development.
The kidnappers had forced their way into Engravers College, Kakau Daji, Chikun Local Government Area of the state around 12am on October 3 and abducted six girls and two teachers who were just returning to the school after a break.
Addressing the newsmen at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalistis (NUJ) in Kaduna yesterday, leader of the team, Chukwuemeka Paul Adindu, said they had done as were been told by the kidnappers, but the kidnappers made a U-turn based on the reaction of the state government over the development in the media.
Adindu said: “We are the parents of the six girls and two teachers kidnapped at Engravers College, Kakau Daji and we are here to let you know that they have not been released because of misinformation in the media that the state government was on top of it.
“The government said they were doing everything possible to bring our children back which happened only on the paper.
“But we the parents and staff of the college don’t know anything about government negotiating with the kidnappers.
“The kidnappers are still calling and threatening us. It is that government pronouncement that made them go wild and said they were waiting for the government.
“We were making efforts to get our children. The fact is that the school is a private school and government is not negotiating and that is what we want to clarify.
“It is we, the parents, that have been struggling to see how our children can be released. There is no government involvement. I repeat, nobody is helping us.
“It is only we the parents that are suffering and if you look at us you will know we don’t look like people whom government is helping. They should please release our children.
“We have tried our best as parents to do all we can. We did as we were told, but up till now, they have not been released to us and what they are holding on to is the government pronouncement which is making them demand for more.”
He, however, declined to mention the specific amount so far paid to the kidnappers but a media source put it at N3.6 million.