Father of abducted Kaduna college student dies in Niger

Malam Ibrahim Shamaki, father of Fatima Ibrahim who is among the 39 abducted students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization Afaka near Kaduna, is dead.

Fatima Ibrahim was at the college premises, preparing for exams when the gunmen struck and abducted the students two weeks ago.

Family sources said Fatima was the one wearing Hijab and spoke in Hausa in the video that was released by the gunmen, shortly after the students got missing.

She was heard in the video, appealing to the authorities to come to their aid from the dare devil terrorists.

A family source told journalists on Friday night, that Malam Ibrahim Shamaki who became ill a week after his daughter got missing, was rushed to a hospital in Maradi, a town in Niger Republic for treatment.


”He was taken to Maradi near our border with Katsina state for medication. He died due to trauma of missing his daughter. He was there since last week. His body will be transported to Nigeria today for burial,” the source said.

It could be recalled that parents of the Afaka 39 had staged a peaceful protest, alleging neglect on the part of government over the plight of their children who are in captivity.

However, the state government said it was doing much over the matter but ruled out payment of ransom or any negotiation with bandits, insisting that such criminals should be decimated.

The parents had also issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the government to ensure the safe release of the Afaka 39, but till date, the students are still in the bush under captivity.