Some mothers of the abducted schoolboys of the Government Science Secondary School Kankara who came from far places have vowed to remain in the school until their sons return.
This development is as a result of the information filtering in from the state government that seventeen of the boys have escaped from their abductors.
As a result of the attack and the subsequent closure of the school, it has now become a shadow of itself, with bags, shoes and other items of the students littered in their hostels.
Some women who heard the information about the 17 students said to have escaped were on hand to see and pick up their wards.
They however expressed disappointment when their hopes were dashed.
The also claimed that the information reaching them from one of the boys who escaped from the bandits’ enclave said that, the boys are being fed with leaves, drink from pond and beaten like animals.
Also Read : Mother of abducted Kankara student leads protest to demand their immediate rescue
The women said that, since the news broke they have been living in severe pains and broken hearted.
Thirteen-year-old Khalid Mani, a junior secondary school, JSS 2 student and the 6th of his siblings, was among those who escaped in the night they were abducted.
He said, the bandits came on foot into their school and cannot say exactly whether they took the boys away in a car or on motorcycles.
According to him, around 9:30 pm on Friday night, he was at the barber’s shop having a haircut when he suddenly heard sporadic gunshots at the hostels.
“They were shouting in Arabic, ‘Allahu Akbar’, meaning, ‘God is Great’, they later called us out to line up for assembly, entering room to room, waking people up, either with a whip or the gun butts, they told us they were here to help and not hurt us if we cooperate, thereafter, they separated us into batches of about 50 persons”
Also Read : Kankara School Abduction: Katsina Government orders closure of all boarding schools
At that moment, he said, “some of us scaled the fence and headed into the forest where we spent the night on top of trees, it was when we heard the call to prayer that, we began to return towards the school without shoes. Even though I am happy to have escaped, I feel for my friends and the other schoolmates that are still in captivity”
“I call on the government to do all things possible for their safe return”.
For his father, Mani Ahmed, he is happy for his son.
He prayed and urged the government to ensure that all the other boys being held in captivity return safely.
A resident of the area, 30-year-old Aminu Ibrahim, whose 10 brothers were abducted said, they now live in fear, even though the security situation has improved a bit, with the presence of security personnel.
(Editor Paul Akhagbemhe)
