54 days in creek: Why we planned to disrupt school graduation party, say parents

Parents of the six students of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, who were abducted 54 days ago, yesterday revealed that plans were on top gear to disrupt the graduation party allegedly being organized for graduating students of the college. 

One of the parents said: “Yes, we planned to disrupt any graduation party in that school. How can they embark on a party, while our children are still in captivity? Some of those in captivity are even supposed to graduate to senior class. The children have been in captivity now for almost two months.”

According to a parent, it was painful not seeing their children for almost two months now.

 The parent added: “When we heard that the school management was planning to organize a party for the colleagues of those students that were abducted, we got angry. We decided to embark on a protest. Since the incident happened, the school management had not shown any seriousness. Yet they have the resources to put up a party. We are not going to stand and watch them celebrating other students, while our children are languishing in the captivity of the kidnappers.”

He further said: “We emptied out pockets to pay the kidnappers the ransom they demanded from us. Lagos State Government cannot take glory for what they did not contribute to. After paying the money, we are left with nothing.”

 Another parents noted: “The insensitivity of the school management and the state government towards the plight of our children is affecting us psychologically and emotionally. Some of us are dying gradually for not seeing our children for so long; we thought they would be released after the payment had been made. But the reverse is the case now. We cannot endure anymore.”

It was also gathered that some security agencies which includes Police, Neigbhourhood Watch and members of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) deployed to the school, had been asked to leave.

A member of the vigilante group, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said: “We were asked to leave, knowing fully well that the kidnappers may want to drop the students in the school after releasing them. What we were told was that whenever the gunmen came to drop the students in the school, we should not be in the school so as not to have any encounters with them. So that the victims wouldn’t be put at risk; we had to comply.”

Meanwhile, it was gathered that the Lagos State Government has ordered the college and other government schools to shut down immediately, so that students would go home to their parents.