Parents wept with joy as 90 children kidnapped from the Salihu Tanko Islamic School in Tegina, Niger State, were reunited with their parents on Friday after more than 80 days in captivity.
A couple whose son died in captivity said they would be in excruciating pain for a long time because they had yearned to see their child since the day he and his classmates were kidnapped by bandits.
When they realized they would never see their son again, they broke down in tears. On Friday, other parents and siblings were reunited with their released loved ones in Minna.
The children were kidnapped in late May and held captive for 88 days until they were released on Thursday after a ransom was paid.
The Tegina students were released just five days after the Bethel Baptists School students in Kaduna.
Idris Umar, the father of the child who died in the bandits’ den, described the ordeal as traumatic.
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He described it as the darkest moment of his life because his long-held hope of reuniting with his son, as had the hopes of the other parents, had been dashed.
“It was a traumatic experience that I wouldn’t wish on anyone, not even my worst enemy. In Tegina, it was terrible for me and all of us as parents,” he said.
The deceased died 24 days after their kidnapping, according to one of the girls.
Similarly, Maryam, a 9-year-old girl whose parents died soon after her kidnapping, was in agony and grief yesterday. While the other students were being reunited with their parents, she sobbed uncontrollably and could not be consoled by sympathisers.
Some of the children who spoke with our correspondent told us about their captivity experiences.
Zuwaira Isah, a female student, said they trekked for four days in the bush before arriving at their final destination.
“On occasion, they would ride their bikes among us, carrying small children. It wasn’t an easy journey. They also used to wake us up in the middle of the night. They used to beat us when we first arrived at their den, but the gang leader told them to stop,” she said.
She claimed, however, that they were adequately fed three times a day with rice, pap, and other types of food, depending on what was available.
“They fed us three times per day. We were given pap in the morning and rice or any other available food for lunch and dinner. When we got sick, they gave us drugs and injections. One of them was given the title of doctor. He was the one who took care of the sick people among us,” she explained.
She claimed that the older members of the group were obligated to look after the younger members and act as their parents in order to make them feel at ease.
She also claimed that the kidnappers urged them to pray five times a day.
Governor Sani Bello receives the children of Tegina.
One of the girls stated that they had given up hope of ever seeing their parents again.
“We never expected to see our parents again, even though they didn’t beat us. “However, we are delighted to be back today,” she stated.
The parents of one of the students thanked God for their children’s safe return.
“We thank Allah (SWT) for allowing us to witness this lovely Friday. This is a unique Friday for us. We’ve been crying nonstop all day and night. Today, however, Allah has turned our cries into joy,” she said.
Another parent, Hauwa Hamza, who spoke in Hausa, said they would now be able to sleep peacefully, thanking Allah for allowing them to see their children again.
Some of the parents we spoke with said the incident would not prevent them from sending their children to school.
Alhaji Abubakar Alhassan, the school’s head teacher, expressed his gratitude to those who were involved in the struggle.
“Many people, including the government and individuals, have contributed to their release. Even though it is an Islamic school, Christians, churches, and pastors have contributed. They prayed that we would be able to secure their release,” he explained.
Speaking to our correspondent, Modibbo Ibrahim, the chairman of Rafi Local Government, who also claimed to be an uncle to the boy who died in captivity, said it had been a difficult experience for his people, but thanked Allah for the children’s safe release.
“We are now working together with traditional rulers to prevent this incident from happening again. However, because their informants are present, we cannot reveal other strategies to the media,” he said.
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, who received the children, said that 90 of the 91 children kidnapped on May 30, 2021 were released, while one died in captivity.
“I want to congratulate each and every one of us who has contributed in any way to the release of these precious children. This exemplifies the illness or insanity that exists in some people’s minds. “I can’t explain or imagine why you would kidnap a three-year-old and hold him or her captive for more than 80 days,” he said.
He stated that all of the children were medically examined, with 86 of them being found to be in good health and four others having health issues.
College students from Zamfara have returned home.
Similarly, the abducted students of the College of Agriculture and Animal Science in Bakura, Zamfara State, have been released 12 days after being kidnapped from the institution.
“Today, based on our dialogue and reconciliation, we used the repentant bandits to secure the release of these students,” Governor Bello Matawalle said shortly after their release.
“They toiled for nearly ten days. They were out day and night trying to persuade those criminals to let the students and teachers go. Alhamdulillah, they have arrived in our midst today.”
The students were transported in a bus to the Government House in Gusau, which was heavily guarded. They were welcomed by the governor and other state officials.
Around 11 p.m. on August 15, gunmen stormed the institution and abducted 20 people: 15 students, four staff members, and a driver.
Two watchmen and a police officer were killed by the gunmen during the attack.
The abductors demanded N350 million for the students’ release a few days later.
Governor Matawalle said no ransom was paid for the students’ release when he met them on Friday.
Meanwhile, the governor has ordered that all of the state’s major markets be closed. He also ordered the closure of all filling stations in the area, as well as the prohibition of the sale of fuel, even in jerry cans.
Another 32 Bethel students have been released by the bandits.
Also, one week after 15 students from Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna were released and reunited with their families, bandits have released another 32 students.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State says 31 students are still being held captive and has urged Nigerians to pray for their safe release.
While confirming the release of the 32 students, Kaduna State CAN Chairman Rev. Joseph Joh Hayab said they were released on Friday evening and are being reunited with their families.
Hayab expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their support and asked for more prayers for the remaining students’ release.
15 of the students were released last week, with the bandits promising to release the rest in batches.
On July 5th, bandits broke into a school in Damishi, Chikun local government area of Kaduna State, and abducted about 121 students. At least 90 students have been released so far, with a ransom of over N50 million paid to the bandits.
