Kaduna; In A Heart-Breaking Video, Kidnapped Students Beg For Their Lives |The Source

By Gideon Njoku

The abducted students sat together on the ground in a forest. Most of the male students were shirtless. A number of the girls were in their night wears, sleeping wrappers, and sleeping nets. They were already asleep when the devils came calling. Fear was written on their faces.

They are students of the Federal  College of Forestry Mechanization, Kaduna, who were abducted from their hostels at about 11.30 pm, Thursday.

About 180, of them, including a couple of  staff,  were rescued within hours by soldiers who went in hot pursuit of the Bandits that abducted them. But the devils succeeded in whisking away 49 of them, mostly females.

Both the Federal and Kaduna State Governments say that security personnel are in a well coordinated efforts to rescue them. It is not known whether they have located the students or not.

But in a heart-rending video released by the abductors, the students were seen in a helpless, hopeless situation, pleading for their lives from the Government.

With an AK 47 rifle pointed on his head by a man wearing military uniform,(camouflage), one of the students, a male, apparently mandated/forced to speak on behalf of the others, was desperately pleading that no force be used to rescue them. As he spoke, another, wearing a black uniform, associated with Security personnel, was hovering around the head of another student, his AK 47 menacingly pointing at her.

Speaking, the student, shirtless,  who introduced himself as Emmanuel, had fears written  all over his face.

He appealed for their rescue. He said many of them have been badly injured. He said others were having health issues. He said time was running out for them. He said those holding them hostage were serious and meant business. He warned against trying to rescue them using any form of  force as their abductors would kill all of them in the event of such action. He said they didn’t want to lose their lives.

As Emmanuel spoke with a quivering voice, a female student, tying a wrapper upto her chest, was quietly crying. Emmanuel spoke in English language. After him, a female student also spoke in Hausa language.

The abductors have now demanded the sum of N500m for the release of the students, or…

Since after the outrage that greeted their abduction, and the press statements by both the  Kaduna  State Government and the Kaduna State Police Command, nothing much has been heard about the progress, if any,  so far. Nor has the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, made any statement.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, has recently been speaking against dialoguing or negotiating with Bandits. And so have both President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Security Adviser, Rtd. Major General Babagana Monguno. The President a few days ago, also, ordered a shoot-at-sight order at anybody seen carrying an AK 47 rifle in the forest. He said the rifle is for security personnel, only.

It is not known the effect the recent pronouncements or the attitude of El-Rufai towards bandits would have on the students.

Will the Government negotiate with the bandits?

Will it use force as against the advice from the students?  It is the shame of a country, the frequency of the school abductions.

After the release of the 279 Jengebe students, Zamfara, a couple of weeks ago, President Buhari had assured Nigerians it was going to be last abduction of students. Apparently, the President did not take into consideration the resilience of the devils, and the fact that this has become a big business.

They have called the President’s bluff. It is like: Mr President, what can you do? What will you do? They know he is not likely to risk the lives of the students. He dares not.