Parents of the abducted 136 pupils of the Salihu Tanko Islamiyya school in Tegina town, Rafi LGA, in Niger state have accused the state government of abandoning them just as they say the bandits have raised the ransom for their release from N120 million to N200 million.
Armed bandits stormed the school riding in motorcycles and abducted the pupils, some of them who were under four years, on Sunday, May 27. Three teachers were also abducted.
In an emotional-laden interview on AriseTV today, June 4, the headteacher of the school, Abubakar Alhassan, whose child was also abducted alongside his sister, broke down in tears as he accused the state government officials of not contacting the state government of neglecting them or even showing sympathy to them.
“My own children. They took them to an unknown place. They took them to bushes where they are to sleep on the ground. No leaf, no mat. How do you expect them to live like that?
All eyes are on me as the head teacher. I have witnessed the funeral prayers of one of the parents very close to the school. She had just one child in the school.
She wasn’t around when the incident happened. When she came back, they told her that this is what is happening. Before you know, within 10-15 minutes, she fainted and that was the end of her, she died. That was the day before yesterday.
One day after the incident happened, another parent, a woman, died from heart attack.
The government, are we not Nigerians? Are we not Nigerlites? That the government cannot intervene in this issue? This money they are sending to them from the Federal government, is it their money? No sympathy at all. None of the government officials didn’t say hi or sorry to us. Are we animals? We are not. We are Nigerians. I am too sad”
ANother parent of one of the abducted students, Tanko Zagi, said they are yet to hear from the state government
“Since that day up till now, we have not seen anything from the state government. But the local government chairman has been up and doing so that these children can be rescued. But the state government, we don’t know. No official of the government has come to condole with us” he said
The state government on Wednesday said it was doing everything possible to ensure the safe return of the students.