IT was weeping and wailing on Wednesday morning as parents of kidnapped students of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe stormed Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s office at Alausa, Ikeja, complaining of being abandoned in the hour of their need, even as they demanded that the state government does everything within it powers to ensure the release of their children 14 days after they were abducted by gunmen.
This was just as they disclosed that the kidnappers told them on Tuesday that four of their children were now sick and that they would henceforth not negotiate with the parents again or allowed them to speak with their children, saying that the kidnappers insisted that they wanted to negotiate with the government.
The parents, who looked dejected, urged the state government to do something urgently to get their children released.
Spokesperson of the parents, Mr Dapo Adesega, lamented that their children had been with the kidnappers for 14 days and that government had not deemed it fit to communicate with them, adding that it had become difficult to know the level of concern the government had for the plight facing the parents if it failed to communicate with them.
One of the parents, who was crying at the top of her voice, called on the state government to ensure the release of her child identified as Isiaka out of the kidnappers’ den immediately.
Another parent, Mrs Toyin Philips, who is mother of Pelumi, a 17-year-old student, who was among those kidnapped, was also seen weeping and demanding government’s intervention in the situation.
“I want my son back. I sent my son to the school because there was no money. If I had the money they are demanding for, would I have sent my son to that school?” she asked.
“We are the one negotiating with the kidnappers. The kidnappers said they wanted N100 million. Government, please, don’t let our children die. Let their release be done today,” said another parent, Mrs Agbaosi, whose son Judah, is among those kidnapped.
Another parent, Moruf Ramon, whose 19-year-old son, Isiaka Ramon, is still being held by the kidnappers also confirmed that the kidnappers had refused to negotiate with them any further as what they offered to pay them was small.
He said there was no way they could raise such a huge ransom of N100 million being demanded by the kidnappers, adding that so far, the parents offered to give the kidnappers N10 million they raised which they rejected.
Speaking further, spokesperson of the parents, Mr Adesega, insisted that government had not deemed it fit to communicate with the affected parents.
“If you don’t communicate with us, how do we know that government cares for our plight? If we had not come here today, we won’t have heard anything from the government,” he told government officials who were sent to address them.
“Nobody from the government has come to us since the incident occurred two weeks ago, we did not come here with placards because we want government to help us. Please, government should help us. We have been trying to negotiate with them (kidnappers) but they rejected our offer because it is too small.
“They said we cannot speak with our children again as four of them are ill. We want government to help us, we are trusting in you. Our kids are not allowed to talk to us again. I took my child to a government school, so the government should help us,” he demand.
Officials of the Lagos State government led by the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Muslim Folami, who came to address the parents, assured them that government would stop at nothing until the children were released.
Other officials include the Special Adviser to the Governor on Community and Communications, Kehinde Bamigbetan and the Special Adviser to the Governor on the Environment, Babatunde Hunpe.
Folami appealed to the parents to be calm and that government was doing all it could to get the children released, saying that government was embarrassed that such a thing could occur on its school.
He told the parents that the state government had been working around the clock to ensure the release of the children and that it would happen very soon.
When the parents asked how soon, Folami said he could not tell, but that there was no way government could disclose certain intelligent information at its disposal.
“Work is going on and soon, your children will be released to you. We cannot give you intelligent report now,” he said.
Also speaking, Bamigbetan said government knew the pains the parents were going through and that everything would be done to get the children released very soon, while appealing for calm.
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