43 days in creek: We’re doing everything to rescue our students, says Ambode

The Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday, finally broke his silence on the abduction of the six students of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe.

Ambode, who spoke at Epe, a suburb of Lagos, during a commissioning of a fire station, said the state was doing everything humanly possible to rescue the students.

This disclosure from the governor came exactly 43 days after the students’ abduction from their school hostel.

This even as a father of one of abducted students, yesterday, told our correspondent denied that the kidnappers had finally broken their silence and spoken with them as was being alleged by some quarters.

According to Ambode, the government was seriously concerned about rampaging cases of kidnapping in the state and was wholeheartedly committed to the safety of lives and properties in the state.

His words: “I just want to assure Lagosians that we are doing everything possible. We don’t run government on the pages of the newspapers. That’s why you see that we do not make comments on the newspapers. We’re trying as much as possible to make sure that we get these children back safely, which is more important to us. We also want to ensure we tighten security in our waterways to make sure that we support the security agencies in ensuring that the right things are done and then we keep pace.”

Ambode revealed that intelligence reports indicated that some of the Baales colluded with kidnappers to kidnap people in remote areas.

He said that his administration remained more than ever committed to ensure the safety of lives and properties, stressing: “We would do everything within our capacity to ensure that the state stabilizes.”

Speaking yesterday, one of the fathers of the abducted children said: “Nobody called us, let alone the kidnappers. I have already called the leader of the parents group of abducted children. I called him on Wednesday, asking him if there was any development, if the kidnappers had called, he said nobody called. Whatever some journalists write, about the kidnappers was not true, they’re just writing on their own. As for us, we’re only praying and hoping in God, that the kidnappers will release our children unhurt.”