Eighty three days after bandits abducted 136 Salihu Tanko Islamiyya school pupils in Tegina town, Rafi Local Government Area, Niger State, their fate remains uncertain. That was even as their parents have paid substantial part of the ransom to their abductors. Some of the parents are now battling with their health in hospitals as they are hypertensive and feel the government has neglected them.

However, there is sign of hope for parents and relatives of kidnapped victims as the State Commissioner of Police, Monday Bala Kuryas, recently disclosed that the abducted pupils and other abducted victims will be released soon. While addressing journalists after a tour of duty to tactical teams and special formations across security affected areas in Mariga Local Government Area of the state, the Commissioner declared that all is in place to rescue the children unharmed.

Ironically, the state government seems indifferent on the issue of abduction, most especially as it relates to mobilizing funds to secure the release of the kidnapped children as only the abductees’ respective families were left to fate for the facilitating efforts for their release. Some parents and citizens alike have alleged discrimination in security and government’s approach on the matter, saying some persons in government who were abducted only spent few days and have been released.

Some of the parents accused the state government of playing a ‘discriminatory role’ in securing the release of victims of abduction in the state. The Head Teacher, Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School, Alhassan Garba Abubakar, during the week, said he wished the “miracle formula” used in releasing the Commissioner for Information, Mohammad Sani Idris and the APC chieftain in Zone C will be used to release the children. Furthermore, the Head Teacher said that he spoke with the abductors and pleaded for mercy but that they insisted the six motorcycles and money demanded be delivered as soon as possible or they would attack another school in Niger.

“I spoke with the bandits. They are threatening that if the money they are demanding is not paid along with the motorcycles, we should be looking forward to another school attack and that it will be more deadly,” he said.

The bandits, it was reliably gathered, informed some of the parents in a telephone conversation that three children had died. Findings have it that, the bandits assured the parents contacted that they would send videos of the burial of the late pupils and the present condition of the others to confirm their bad state of health. To corroborate this claim, the Chief Imam of Tegina also made a similar announcement after one of the regular Muslim prayers in the town. One of the parents, whose two children are with the bandits and did not want his name mentioned, said: “Our children have been with the bandits for about 80 days now. But look at the government and security that we have been begging for. They keep telling us to be patient.”

(New Telegraph)

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