Kaduna 8: Parents blame govt for continuous detention of school hostages

Sola Ojo, Kaduna

The distressed parents of the six students and two teachers of The Engravers’ College, in Kakau Daji, Kaduna State, have blamed the continuous detention of their children by their abductors on the government’s pronouncement on the development.

The kidnappers had forced their way into The Engravers’ College, in Chikun local government area, around 12 am on Thursday, October 3, and abducted six girls and two teachers who were just returning to the school after a break.

Related: How 6 schoolgirls were abducted in Kaduna

Addressing reporters on Monday at the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalistis (NUJ) in Kaduna, the leader of the parents delegation, Chukwuemeka Paul Adindu, revealed that they had complied with the conditions given the kidnappers, but that the kidnappers made a u-turn based on the reaction of the state government in the media over the development.

According to Adindu: “We are the parents of the six girls and two teachers kidnapped at The 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,” the parent said.

“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 who 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 said.

Mr Adindu, however, declined to mention the specific amount so far paid to the kidnappers as ransom, but a media source put it at N3.6 million.