Parents of Students of Engravers’ College, Kaduna have revealed that they paid ransom, in fact twice, before their children were released by kidnappers.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday in Kaduna State, Ohemu Monday Fredrick one of the parents who spoke on behalf of other parents thanked God and all those who assisted in ensuring the freedom of the students from the abductors. He particularly thanked “a former governor of Kaduna state,” he refused to name.
He said “On behalf of other parents, we want to appreciate God who kept these children for about 25 days in the bush. God preserved them and today we have no harm, no wound in any way.
“We want to sincerely appreciate
Nigerians who stood by our side through prayers in the churches and in the
mosque.
“While it was looking difficult because of the demands of the kidnappers, God
in his infinite way, brought help our way.
“Several people that if we begin to mention them it will be too numerous to mention them. But we want to thank God, especially for a former governor of Kaduna state. We don’t know him, but he looked for us, he traced us and God used him and several people in various ways, some of them even went to the point of talking with the kidnappers on our behalf…
He said “By the grace of God we met the requirements of the kidnappers and today our children are released and we thank God.
When asked to react to claims by the police that they rescued the school girls, he said: “We paid ransom before their release. We paid ransom twice. It is our right for the police to protect us, but we paid ransom before the our children were released.”
He however added, “We want to thank them and even the government for the release of our children. We don’t want to (give) details of the role that everybody played. The police visited us in the school where the children were abducted. We appreciate their presence and everything but we paid money before our children were released. “
Giving further insight, one of the parents explained that the girls were actually waiting by the roadside near Dutse village, along the Kaduna -Abuja road to be picked by a vehicle sent by the parents to pick them, when a police patrol team passing by, saw them and picked them to the Divisional Police Station at Toll Gate .
Speaking on the condition of the freed students, the parents said “the girls are in good condition, they are all fine, in fact if you see them, it is as if they did not spend such numbers of days in the bush.
Meanwhile, Fredrick disclosed that the school has been temporarily closed and the children and the teachers are in a fresh jeopardy.
He urged the government to assist the students and teachers by absorbing them in other schools in order for them to continue with their academic pursuit and for the teachers to have means of livelihood.
One of the parents also revealed that the kidnappers also provided transport money for the abducted children and their teachers.
Newsdiaryonline reports that 8 students and a staff of the college regained freedom at the weekend.
