FG not ready to rescue our children, parents of kidnapped students lament

The parents of the 39 students kidnapped at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State 12 days ago have accused the federal government and the Kaduna state government of not doing enough to secure the release of the students.

Addressing journalists during a peaceful protest at the premises of the College on Monday, spokesman of the parents, Comrade Friday Sanni said they have given the federal government a 48-hour ultimatum to rescue the kidnapped students.

The parents queried the Government’s alleged inaction towards the rescue of the children, noting that, when such ugly incidents happened in Katsina, Zamfara and Niger states, the governments acted swiftly and ensured safe and timely rescue of the victims.

According to Sanni, “It is now 12 dark dreary days since the unfortunate incident happened and we as parents have not received any positive message from either the school management, the Minister of Environment under whose ministry the school is or the Kaduna State Government under whose territorial jurisdiction the school is located. This silence is unacceptable as it only feeds our hopelessness with each passing day.

“We have therefore called for this press conference to call the attention of Government at State and Federal levels and all stakeholders involved, and indeed the world, to act with dispatch to ensure the immediate and safe release of our children.”

Meanwhile, the protesting parents temporarily blocked the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari highway, carrying banners and placards with inscriptions like; “Bring Back our Children”, “Bring Back Our Students” and so on.