Nigeria: Abducted schoolgirls plead for release

KANO, Nigeria

Dozens of schoolgirls abducted in Nigeria’s northwest city of Kano appealed to the government and their parents on Wednesday to rescue them, saying they are in miserable conditions.

On March 11, gunmen attacked the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in Afaka, Kaduna state, and kidnapped at least 38 students.

The kidnappers released a video of the abducted students, including a pregnant girl. In the five-minute video shot at night at an unknown location, a bandit speaking in Hausa and Fulfulde languages asked some of the students to come forward and speak before the camera.

In the video, the pregnant woman the bandits addressed as Hajiya pleaded with her parents to rescue the students.

“We are appealing to our parents to help us. We are tired and there is no food. They should do their best to get us out of this place. We have spent 47 days, and almost all of us are ill and there is no food. We sleep in the open even when it rains,” Hajiya said.

The bandits also introduced a woman they addressed as the wife of a military officer, who was abducted from her home in Tirkania-Agwa in the Chikun local government area of Kaduna.

The victim, who said her husband is a naval officer working in Warri, Delta state, urged the federal government to come to their rescue.

Between April 5 and April 8, the bandits released 10 of the abducted students, leaving 28 in captivity.

The bandits had initially demanded a naira 500 million ($1.32 million) ransom from the government but after the administration of Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai failed to comply, they reached out to some parents.

The government or security agencies are yet to respond to the video.