Parents of the abducted students of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger, have commended the Government for securing the release of the students and other victims.
The 27 students , three staff and 12 family members of the school were released by their captors in the early hours of Saturday.
The victims were abducted by the gunmen on Feb. 17 and had spent 11 days in captivity.
The students arrived Minna at about 9.45 a.m. amid tight security and were received by officials of the state government at the Niger State Development Company Suites.
A Team of medical personnel was deployed to the facility where the victims were being kept for profiling and medical attention.
One of the parents, Aliyu Isah, said his wife and five of his children were among the victims who regained freedom.
“I just want to thank God for the safe return of my wife and children; I went through sleepless nights because I didn’t know their condition while in captivity, ” Isah said.
He also commended Gov. Abubakar Bello for his efforts toward the release of the abductees .
” I am very happy and pray such thing does not occur in our state, again,” he said.
Another parent, Abubakar Musa, also expressed happiness over the release of the victims, saying that himself and other members of the family had prayed for the safe return of their wards.
“Six of my children are among the victims; even though I am yet to meet them, I am optimistic that I will meet them in good health.
“I want to thank God for the safe return of the children. I am glad that they have been released,” Musa said.
Also, one of the relatives of the victims who pleaded anonymity, said her sister was among the released victims.
” I am short of words to describe what I went through thinking about the condition my sister while she was in the hands of the gunmen,
but I thank God for her safe return,” she said.
Some other parents who wept openly, refused to comment on the development, saying they would only talk after meeting with their wards.
Mobile Police and NSCDC personnel have been deployed at the hotel as journalists were barred from accessing the facility where the victims were undergoing profiling and medical attention.
Also President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the release of the abducted students of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State.
The president, in a statement by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Saturday, commended the nation’s security and intelligence agencies and the government of Niger state for their responses in securing the release.
“We are happy they have been released,” he said.
Buhari also greatly sympathised with the staff and the students, their parents and friends on this ordeal.
He, however, warned that the country would not continue to suffer these attacks that threaten the growth of education, the security and life of the future leaders at the same time putting the nation in a negative light.
The president reiterated his earlier advice to school owners, particularly the state and local governments as well as religious organisations to scale up security around their schools.
He said this should be in line with the standards laid down by the UN-backed Safe School Programme of the administration.
Buhari once again condemned the school abductions, with latest one at the Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe in Zamfara.
According to him, he has since directed all security and intelligence agencies in the country to hunt down the culprits and bring them to justice.
42 persons, including 27 students, were abducted by gunmen that invaded the school on Feb. 17, also taking away staff and family members.
