Traumatised parents of the remaining 16 kidnapped students and three staff of Greenfield University, Kaduna, on Friday prayed for the safe release of their children.
The parents, after the prayers, appealed to the federal government to urgently assist them in rescuing their children from the bandits, saying the latest demand of N160 million cumulative ransom by the kidnappers was beyond them.
According to them, the students have already spent 24 days in the kidnappers’ den.
The chairman of the parents, Marcus Zarmai, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to use his office to secure the release of the students “before something sinister happens to them.”
“The kidnappers are demanding the sum of N10 million for each of the 16 students, making N160 million, even after the parents have collectively paid them over N60 million ransom for the release of their children without any success.
“Having exhausted all the money we have to pay as ransom, we the parents are appealing to the federal government to assist us to pay the ransom demanded or find any other way to ensure the safe return of our children,” he said.
Among those kidnapped by the bandits is a woman whose daughter, Esther Chukwuemeka, joined in praying for the release of the abducted persons.
Esther said her mother’s absence had created a vacuum in their family and appealed to the bandits to release her.
