Time is ticking and the students still haven't been rescued

fuad lawal

June 9, 2017 1:46 AM

2 weeks have passed, and even four of the kids have fallen sick.

A parent of one of the kidnapped students of Lagos Model College Igbonla, protesting at Alausa

Over 14 days after six children were kidnapped from their hostel in Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, the parents seem to have lost hope in the government.

Parents of the students who were kidnapped took to the office of the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday 7th of June, to protest.

According to the parents, the kidnappers had called the day before to say that four of the six children were ill. The kidnappers also added that they were no longer interested in negotiating with the government.

Toyin Philips, mother of 17-year-old Pelumi, one of the kidnapped, said between tears:

“If I have the money they are demanding, I would not have sent my son to that school.

"The State Government has been silent."

According to the spokesperson for the parents, Mr. Dapo Adesega, the government has failed to communicate with the parents of the affected children.

“If we had not come here today, we won’t have heard anything from the government.

The kidnappers said we cannot speak with our children again. They said four of them are ill. We want government to help us.”

According to a parent, Moruf Rahmon, the parents were not going to be able to raise the N100M demanded by the kidnappers but offered to raise N10M. The kidnappers refused.

The Government finally spoke.

At Alausa, the parents were received by the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Muslim Folami; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Community and Communications, Kehinde Bamigbetan; and the Special Adviser to the Governor on the Environment, Babatunde Hunpe.

“Work is going on and soon, your children will be released to you”, Folami said.

The Lagos State Government has stated clearly that it would not pay a ransom to the kidnappers, but would instead use it's security forces and agencies to rescue the students.

fuad lawal