A second video of the remaining 29 abducted students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna, still in captivity, has surfaced on social media.
The bandits had invaded the school on March 11, 2021 about 11:30 pm and abducted 39 students.
Weeks after the abduction, 10 of the students were released following the payment of N17 million, according to sources close to the parents.
In the 4 minute, 56 second-long video recorded at night, one of the bandits ordered the victims, including the wife of a naval officer, who was abducted in her home in Trikaniya, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis, to speak to their relations to pay ransom for their release.
The students spoke in both Hausa and English languages.
A female student, who was the first to speak, begged parents to pay the bandits so that they would be freed.
“Our parents we are begging you in the name of God to look for money and free us. Please do your best,” she said in Hausa language.
Another student who gave his name as Yahaya Paul also pleaded with parents to help them out of captivity, saying they are facing hunger while many of them are sick.
“Please we are calling on our parents to help us and take us out of here. They should try their possible best to see us out of here. Some of us are sick. We have not been eating well. Please parents help us so that we will come out of this place,” he said.
Benson Emmanuel, one of the students featured in the first video, begged the parents to come to their rescue, saying they are tired of living in the forest.
Another student identified by the bandit as Hajiya, said almost all the students are sick.
“We are begging our parents to come and help us out of this place. We are tired. We have not been feeding well, there is sickness, there are challenges, and we are begging our parents to try hard to get us out of here.
We have spent 47 days here.
Almost all of us are not well.
There is no food. Rain is beating us outside, no room for us to sleep.
Another student, Vicky Sani, also begged parents to assist in securing their freedom.
A wife of a naval officer abducted in Trikaniya area of Kaduna metropolis also called on her husband to come and pay money for her release.
The woman who said her husband is serving with the Nigerian Navy in Warri, urged her husband to pay the bandits for her release.
“I was abducted at home in Trikaniya, Kaduna. My husband is a Naval officer working in Warri, (Delta state).
“I am calling on my husband to come and get me out of this situation. I have been here for 17 days.
“Initially all of us were asked to bring N30m, I don’t know what was later agreed upon,” she said.
The bandit who supervised the video recording asked the woman to send a message to the federal government.
“We are appealing to the federal government to come and rescue us… The government should help us,” the woman said.
John Shiklam in Kaduna
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