We’re ready to negotiate with bandits, say parents of abducted Kaduna students

Parents of the students abducted from Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Kaduna state has vowed to negotiate with bandits to secure the release of their children.

At a press briefing in Kaduna on Monday, the parents said “we cannot sit and do nothing” after Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna, insisted he will not negotiate with the bandits.

The bandits abducted the students when they attacked the school located in Igabi LGA of Kaduna on March 12.

Days after the incident, el-Rufai said: “We will not engage with bandits or kidnappers. Private citizens like clerics and clergymen can do so in their individual capacities. We also want them to repent but it is not our job to ask them to do so.”

But the parents — who had earlier staged a protest to demand the release of their children — said they will “do everything within our power” to secure the release of the students.

Sam Kambai, who spoke on behalf of the parents, also accused the Kaduna state government of abandoning them to their fate.

“If we have the means of reaching the bandits we will negotiate with them. We are ready to negotiate the lives of our children. We will not allow (the) government to destroy our children in the bush. We are also working hard to get their contact,” Kambai said.

“Today makes it 25 dreary and excruciatingly difficult days since our children have been in captivity. 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 have not received any words of empathy or assurance from (the) government nor have we seen any action to inspire confidence that something is being done to secure the safe release of our children.

“As parents, we cannot sit on our hands and do nothing and that we would do everything within our capacity to ensure the safe release of our children. 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.”

The parents said it was “the failure of government to live up to its primary responsibility of securing life” that led to the kidnap, adding that they are disappointed with how el-Rufai has managed the situation.

They faulted the governor for failing to provide an update on the situation in his Easter message on Saturday.

“For us, it was a confirmation of our fear that the government has abandoned our children. We can never abandon our children and we will do whatever we can to see that we get them back,” they said.

“We will continue to do our best until we have our children back. We call on all Nigerians and the international community to support us in our efforts for the safe return to us of  our children soonest.”