Parents of the 39 abducted students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, in Igabi local government area of Kaduna State, have vowed to defy the state government’s order and instead go ahead to negotiate with bandits in order to secure the release of their children.

Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, had in a statement issued by Samuel Aruwan, the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, on Sunday, said his administration will prosecute anyone caught negotiating with bandits or terrorists in the state.

The warning came three weeks after the 39 students abducted are still in their abductors’ captivity.

But speaking at a meeting held by the abducted students’ parents at the college premises on Monday, Samuel Kambai, Chairman of the Afaka Parents Association, said the statement showed that the state government is less concerned about the plight of their children in the hands of their captors.

Kambai said the parents will do everything possible to get the children out of captivity, including negotiating with the bandits irrespective of the state government’s stance against such a method.

He said: “We are appealing to the government to look at it critically and help us out. Today is the 25th day that these children have been in the bush and the government by their statement; are showing less concern over the issue.

“We are going to look for a way to negotiate for the life of our children. We are not going to allow our children to continue being in the bush. We will do everything humanly possible to get them back even if we will be killed.”

Also speaking, Friday Sani, whose two children were among the abducted students, faulted the Kaduna State government for issuing such a warning, noting that such a statement by the government is capable of jeopardizing the release of the abducted students.

Sani, who is also the secretary of the Afaka parents association said the government has failed to fulfill their promises on securing the release of their children.

“We were confident that this Easter, we will celebrate it with our children but they are just relaxed.

“The promise they gave us when we met with them is not what we are seeing,” Sani said.