Parents of the 39 abducted students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Mando in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have given a 48 hours ultimatum to the Federal and State Governments to rescue their children.

Recall that on Thursday night, March 11, 2020, bandits in large numbers invaded the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Mando in Igabi LGA of the state and kidnapped over 30 students of the institute.

Thereafter, the bandits released a video on Saturday showing the students crying and appealing to the government to pay the N500 million demanded by the bandits as ransom for their release.

However, parents of the 39 abducted students while addressing a press conference on Monday expressed that neither the school authority nor the governments had briefed them of efforts to rescue their children.

Mr. Friday Sani, chairman of the parents, while reading out the text of the press conference to newsmen, stated that “We have called this press conference to address the world on the excruciatingly painful development surrounding the kidnap of 39 of our sons and daughters, students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna, Nigeria.

“You would recall that on the night of 11th March, 2021, gunmen invaded the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, and forcefully abducted 39 students of the Institution at gun point – 23 of them are female students while 16 are male. Several others sustained varying degrees of injuries while running for their dear lives.

“The bandits had a field day on the night of capture and for over an hour carried out their nefarious activity largely unchallenged until the military came after 3 batches of students had been taken out of the college through the perimeter fence.

“Not a single one of the 39 abducted students has been rescued. We have put our trust in the government and school authority to rescue the students in good time and safely, but that has not happened.

“It is now 12 dark dreary days since the unfortunate incident happened and we as parents have not received any positive message from either the school management, the Minister of Environment under whose ministry the school is or the Kaduna State Government under whose territorial jurisdiction the school is located. This silence is unacceptable as it only feeds our hopelessness with each passing day.”

Sani added, “We have therefore called for this press conference to call the attention of Government at State and Federal levels and all stakeholders involved, and indeed the world, to act with dispatch to ensure the immediate and safe release of our children.

“We have seen this kind of ugly event happen in Katsina, Zamfara and Niger states and swiftly the governments acted and ensured the safe and timely rescue of the victims, so why is the case of the Afaka 39 different? Why should our innocent children pay for the failure of government to provide security of life and property? Or is it now a crime to seek education in schools?

“Let us not forget that the students were taken in bad shape – some were barely covering themselves, especially the ladies. This is a dangerous thing and should have made the government to act faster.

“We do not think enough is being done. Indeed, the failure, negligence or refusal of the government to keep us in the loop as regards the measures they are taking as well as subsequent kidnap of students in Kaduna state has heightened our anxiety on the safety of our children.”