A video making the rounds from an interview by a television station, TVC, has given a peep into how parents of Greenfield University got their children and wards released by paying a staggering N180 million and giving 10 motorcycles ransom to the abductors.
One of the parents, who spoke to the TV station, but did not identify himself in the short video clip, lamented that the government and the Police did not assist in bringing their children home.
An agitated female bystander, perhaps a parent or stakeholder, disclosed that they also gave 10 motorbikes.
Recall that of the students kidnapped from the school 41 days ago, 14 were set free on Saturday
Three of the abducted students’ bodies were discovered on April 23 in Kwanan Bature hamlet, adjacent to the campus. On April 26, the Kaduna government announced that the kidnappers killed two more students.
However, the Kaduna State government which played no role in negotiating for the release of the students based on its policy of nom-negotiation with bandits, issued a statement in which its head, Governor Nasir el Rufai, Governor Nasir El-Rufai welcomed the news of the students’ release, and conveyed solace and encouragement to them following their harrowing ordeal.
He assured them that the bitterness of the last few weeks, now over, would set the backdrop for positive achievements in their lives, as he wished them well for the future.
The KDSG Security Update for Saturday 29th May 2021, reads in full: ,”Abducted Greenfield University students regain freedom.
1. The kidnapped students of the Greenfield University who had been held hostage by armed bandits, have been released by their abductors.
2. This was reported to the Kaduna State Government by security agencies. According to the reports, at about 2:00PM today, Saturday, the hostages were found released along the Kaduna-Abuja road.
3. Fourteen persons were released in total, comprising students and staff.
4. It would be recalled that they were abducted by armed bandits in April and had been in captivity since then. Five students were gruesomely killed by the bandits in the period.
5. Governor Nasir El-Rufai welcomed the news of the students’ release, and conveyed solace and encouragement to them following their harrowing ordeal.
6. He assured them that the bitterness of the last few weeks, now over, would set the backdrop for positive achievements in their lives, as he wished them well for the future.”