Anxiety among parents of kidnapped Islamiyya pupils

After staying over 80 days in the hands of their abductors, the patience of the 136 children of the Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School Tegina in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State may have now run out.

THISDAY gathered that the children whose ages range between 5 and 15 years now weep profusely on a daily basis, one of the parents who was allowed to speak to four of the children on Thursday revealed.

According to the parent, he heard the cry of other children when he was talking to his children.

The parent who did not want his name in print said the children pleaded with other parents to come and rescue them because they are suffering in the bush.

The children are said to be fed three times daily but only given pap in the morning, spaghetti in the afternoon and any other meal in the night

THISDAY was told that some of the parents are now living in fear of what could become of their children because some of them are suffering from severe cold, swollen feet and stomach.

The Head Teacher of the School Alhassan Abubakar when contacted told THISDAY that he was there when the children called some of the parents, saying the situation was very pathetic.

Abubakar said the parents and the school are now distressed financially as “everything we have we have sold to pay the ransom demanded by the bandits, they collected this money yet they did not release our children, they are demanding for more money, they want more money and six New Bajaj Motorcycles. Where can we get this money? We have sold everything,” Abubakar lamented.

THISDAY had reported that the relations of the children, philanthropists, school authorities and other individuals contributed about N50m in two tranches which they took to the bandits in the forest but on both occasions, the kidnappers claimed the money was short by a total of N7m.

The courier of the second tranche of the ransom was even detained before being released after about two weeks in the den of the bandits.

The Niger State Government had insisted it will not pay ransom for the release of the school girls Kidnapped since May 30 this year.