PARENTS OF KIDNAPPED STUDENTS OF FUL APPEAL TO GOVERNMENTS TO PROVIDE COUNSELING AND TRAUMA TO VICTIMS 12-12-23
By Sadiq Aminu Parents of kidnapped Students of Federal University of Lafia in Nasarawa State have appealed to the federal and state Governments to take proactive steps towards providing counseling and trauma programmes for the victims to enable them live normal lives and continue with their studies.
The students have been re united with their families at the permanent site of the institution in Lafia after regaining freedom from their abductors.
It has been a period of sleepless nights for parents since gunmen invaded Gandu, a community near Federal University of Lafia in Nasarawa State and kidnapped over ten students of the institution in their various residents on Wednesday 6th December 2023,
Since the incident, parents of the kidnapped Students besieged the main campus of the university and turned one of the lecture halls of the school as their homes hoping on God to ensure safe return of their children.
In an interview, spokesperson for the eight parents whose children were released by their abductors , Mr Ibrahim Abdul said it took a week long negotiations and pleading for mercy of the kidnappers before the students were released.
One of the parents, Mrs Alice Agagu who said she was hospitalized on hearing about the kidnap of her daughter, said she had to part with her live saving to secure her release.
Another parent who gave his name as Mallam Hassan explained that his daughter who is a hundred level of the department of Sociology in the university had not regained her full senses psychologically given her experience in the hands of the kidnappers.
One of the victims who identified herself as a hundred level medical student stated she had lost hope in continuing with schooling.
Director, Information and Public Relations Federal University of Lafia Mr Ibrahim Abubakar said that the school had strengthened collaboration with security agencies to tackle the incessant cases of kidnapping of students
Findings by Africa 247 showed that the owner of a Guest House around the university who escaped when the kidnappers struck was also made to pay the ransom among the students else they would go after him.