Parents of the 39 students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna abducted from their hostel on March 11, 2021, have described the administration of Governor Nasir El-Rufai as callous and insensitive.
The parents condemned the statement on Sunday by Kaduna Government that it did not hire any person to negotiate on its behalf with kidnappers.
Addressing reporters on Monday, Chairman and Secretary of the kidnapped student’s parents, Sam Kambai and Comrade Sanni Friday, vowed they will collectively negotiate with the bandits to secure release of their children.
They said they cannot abandon their children like the government has done.
The traumatised parents said: “Today makes it 25 dreary and excruciatingly difficult days since our children have been in captivity.
“We have not received any words of empathy or assurance from Government nor have we seen any action to inspire confidence that something is being done to secure the safe release of our children.
“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.
“We wish to reiterate that we will do everything within our power, everything humanly possible, with the help of God, to ensure that our children do not perish.
“For government to not do everything to secure the release of the students 25 days after their abduction, and for government to keep the parents in the dark as to what it is doing, if any at all, smacks of gross insensitivity.”

By AbdulGafar Alabelewe