Parents of the abducted Islamic school children in Tegina Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State have allegedly abandoned the kids to their abductors, as a result of the inability to raise the latest demands of bandits.
It was gathered that the parents might have left the kids to their fate as they could not raise the N20 million ransom and six Honda motorcycles worth N3 million demanded by the bandits.
According to reports, some of the feelers they received on the death of some of the abductees have weakened some parents’ resolve and faith as they now doubt the children are still alive.
Niger govt denies ignoring parents of abducted Islamic school pupils.
It would be recalled that the parents had so far collectively contributed ransoms on two occasions to the tune of N55 million yet, children remain in bandits’ den.
Recent information on the children say some of them have already died due to suffering.
A source close to the parents said following the inability to raise the latest ransom coupled with the information that four children are dead, many of them became discouraged and not ready to go any further on the rescue efforts.
“Many of them are emotionally traumatized. They are physically drained especially, having heard that some are already dead. They have been running around to appeal for funds and the funds are not forthcoming,” the source said.
One of the parents, who did not want his name mentioned, told our reporter that the situation is so traumatic and unbearable for him and other parents whose children were abducted.
Asked on the next course of action, the parent replied, “The bandits can have the children forever while we their parents leave their matter in the hands of God.”
” I cannot sleep, nothing in life now gives me joy, especially not knowing if my child is dead or alive. It is so traumatizing. We wanted the government to enter the forest then in Niger state, but some of us refused fearing for the lives of the children. Despite our fears, today some have died. All that we gathered the Bandits collected and still refused to give them back to us. And, we gathered they are not even in Niger state, but far away in Zamfara state forest.”
It would be recalled that the state government, through the Secretary to the State Government, SSG Ahmed Matane, said in the middle of June,2021, that it had concluded plans to confront the bandits in the forest to rescue the kids, but the parents refused claiming that attacking would endanger the lives of the children.
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