04/18/2021 Nigeria(International Christian Concern) – The parents of the 39 students abducted in Nigeria last month continue to oppose the governments ban on paying their child’s ransom to their captors.
“The bandits are threatening us, the parents, everyday with calls that they will kill our children or marry the girls if no ransom is paid for their release.” Spokesman of the parents, Mr Friday Sani, told Daily Post Nigeria.
The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs in Kaduna State, Samuel Aruwan, released a statement earlier this month informing the public that anyone who tried to pay the ransom on the government’s behalf would be prosecuted.
“The position of the Kaduna State Government remains the same: the Government will not negotiate with or pay ransoms to bandits,” said Aruwan,“Any person who claims to do so in any capacity, if found, will be prosecuted accordingly.”
But the parents of the abducted students are not holding back, and are doing everything they can to save their children. “For 36 days since the abduction of our children, we have been arrested emotionally. We want to let the government know that we are not afraid of arrest of any kind,” the spokesperson continued.
Last week, ten of the students were freed and returned to their families. Parents of the remaining missing students report that the government seems satisfied with this success, and no longer feel the urgency to rescue those still in captivity.
“We are appealing to the government and security agencies to have mercy on us, the parents, to do whatever they can do to ensure they release our children from the hands of their abductors.”
The students were abducted from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Mando in Igabi Local Government Area of the state on March 11th by gunmen demanding N50 million (about $122,916) for their release.
Attacks on schools have dramatically increased in Nigeria over the last few years, as kidnappers have capitalized on obtaining large ransom payments. The Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram established the pattern of kidnapping school children for ransom in 2014, when the group abducted 276 mostly Christian girls from a school in Chibok. 2021 has already seen several large-scale kidnappings which were originally thought to have been carried out by loosely organized bandits. Recently, Kaduna state governor El Rufai informed the public that these ransoms were used to fund Boko Haram.
Please pray for the safe return of all who have been kidnapped. Pray for their captors, that their hearts would be softened, and that they will experience the love of Christ that leads to true repentance and salvation. Pray for the Lord to comfort grieving parents and families, for the Nigerian government to be wise in dealing with terrorists, and for the protection of schools from any future attacks.
