Lagos Model College: Kidnappers stop communication with parents after N10m ransom

Parents of the six school children kidnapped at Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, Lagos, on May 25 have cried out that they are in panic after their children’s abductors stopped communicating since they collected N10m ransom on Thursday, June 8.

One of the parents, whose kidnapped child is 14 years old, said they sold most of their valuables to raise the N10m which was given to the kidnappers.

The parent told Punch:

“They were angry that we brought just N10m. They said they would take nothing less than N50m. Now we are all in panic because they have refused to speak with us since that day,” she said.

According to her, as all avenues of help have failed, families have resorted to prayer and fasting.

“Some people sold their houses, some others, valuable property. We have reached the wall now. All our hope is in prayers,” she said.

A father of one of the victims, who also expressed the same fear over the fact that the kidnappers no longer communicate with them, also expressed the anger that the Lagos State Government had done nothing to douse their apprehension.

He said if the government was indeed doing something to ensure the return of their children, the least it could do was have a meeting with the parents to explain what was going on.

“We cannot rest. The last one week has been more intense because we have not heard anything from the kidnappers since they took our money and refused to release the children,” he said.

The father of another victim lamented that the more the kidnappers keep quiet, the more they fear for the lives of their children. He said,

“I wish they would at least let us speak with them on the phone. If we hear their voices, it would calm us down. Right now, we are all in panic. In fact, panic is not the right word to describe what we fear.

“We took a letter to the state government and we could not even see the deputy governor, who was said to be in a meeting at the time. She could not even put the meeting on hold to speak with us for a minute.”

It will be recalled that the parents of the kidnapped school children protested at the Lagos State governor’s office on June 7, weeping as they decried how they had been abandoned to their fate.

Saturday PUNCH reports that they attempted to find out why the Lagos State Government has largely kept mum over the issue but the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, did not pick calls to his mobile line on Friday.