By Ken Afor
Parents of the kidnapped students from the Federal University Gusau (FUG), in Zamfara State, are urging the federal government to take immediate action and rescue their children.
The parents have expressed their belief that the government should engage in negotiations with the bandits, just as they have done in the past with other non-state actors, particularly during the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.
This plea comes in response to a recent threat made by the bandits on Wednesday, stating that they would harm some of the female students if their demands were not fulfilled.
In the meantime, new evidence has surfaced indicating that following extensive negotiations, the criminals have chosen a new leader who currently holds the students captive.
This leader is now issuing threats, stating that unless their demands are met, including the release of certain detained bandit commanders, they will begin to kill the students.
It has been discovered that since the abduction took place, a covert dialogue has been initiated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Defence Headquarters, and the Department of State Service (DSS) in order to secure the release of the students.
Some of the parents in an interview with Daily Trust on Thursday, mentioned that they were informed about a sequence of WhatsApp messages circulated by the kidnappers, warning about the potential slaughter of certain students.
The outlet received additional messages from external sources, stating that the WhatsApp audio recordings were disseminated by the followers of the deceased bandit leader, Ali Kachalla.
These individuals appealed to the federal government and security forces, urging them to release their detained comrades as a means to ensure the safety of the kidnapped students.
It would be recalled that on December 13, 2023, the outlet published a report confirming the demise of Kachalla, who was killed during a surveillance operation conducted by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in Niger State.
On December 16, in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, released a statement confirming the demise of Ali Kachalla.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) disclosed that Kachalla, along with numerous lieutenants and foot soldiers, were neutralized during an air reconnaissance and ground operation in Munya LGA of Niger State on December 11.
It has been discovered that Ali Kachalla was the one responsible for the abduction of more than 50 students from FUG on September 21, 2023. The majority of the abducted individuals were girls and young women.
Furthermore, the demise of Kachalla, a ruthless bandit who carried out numerous heinous acts in Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, Kaduna, and other states, has caused unrest among his fellow criminals. They are now issuing threats of causing chaos, even going as far as killing some of the university girls who were abducted.
Ever since Ali Kachalla’s demise, there has been a sense of unease prevailing in various circles, particularly among the families and relatives of those who were abducted by him, concerning the well-being of their loved ones.
Within the collection of 14 WhatsApp audio conversations, our reporter came across a conversation where an informant was heard conversing with one of the leaders of the bandits. The informant was urging them to reconsider their stance on the school girls, mentioning that mediation efforts were currently underway.
During the audio reviews conducted on Wednesday and Thursday, the identity of the leader of the bandits remained unknown.
“We are selling our cattle to feed the girls, and we are tired….We are tired of feeding them. You should take this message to those concerned. We are giving them seven days to release our people,” the bandit leaders said.
In response, the informant said, “I urge you not to kill the girls because they are innocent.”
But the bandits’ leader said, “Then you should talk to the federal government to release our members. They have incarcerated our members for a long time.”
Speaking in Hausa, the bandits’ leader said in another audio clip: “We heard that they (security operatives) want to use force to liberate the university students from us. Okay, before they use force, tell them that we would slaughter at least three of the girls in the first instance and share the pictures for the world to see.
“What we are saying is that if they think they have superior power to free the girls, why didn’t they confront us when we went to abduct them in the first place? We heard all that they were saying because we listened to the radio. They must release our members so that we can release the captives that are with us.”
But in a separate audio recording, the informant earnestly implored the bandits to be more patient, “It has been a while since I saw the mediators, but I will try my best and meet with them and ensure an amicable resolution of the problem.”
The bandit’s leader in reply said, “You are well aware that they (the government) have not been straightforward in their approach. They would say one thing today and another thing tomorrow.”
The informant then said, “I still want to assure you that based on our discussions, those in charge have promised that they…would be freed and bring them for exchange with the girls.”
According to the outlet referring to the source, Ibrahim, who is the elder brother of Ali Kachalla, is one of the commanders that the bandits are demanding to be released. It has been reported that there are more than 50 members of the bandit group currently in custody.
However, the source mentioned that while some of the captured bandits are still alive, he is uncertain about the fate of others.
“Some of the bandits were arrested during crossfire and they sustained injuries. So, you cannot tell whether they are still alive or not, it is a dicey situation,” the source said.
Meanwhile, parents who spoke to the outlet on Thursday said they were distraught.
Dr. Ibrahim Mai Unguwa, the father of one of the kidnapped girls, urged the government to reassess its strategy and refrain from employing the kinetic approach in the rescue operation for the students saying, “The move could lead to their death in the hands of the bandits. The children may be faced with two dangerous situations: one, they may be killed by the bandits or killed during a fight between the government’s security personnel and the bandits.
His words: “Based on this, I am personally appealing to the government to reconsider its decision and go for dialogue with the abductors so that our children can be set free.
“The government should honour the request extended to it by the bandits. This is not the first time the government has swapped criminals with citizens. We have all seen what happened in Iraq and recently in Palestine; where prisoners were swapped between government and rebels.
“Even here in Nigeria, we have witnessed how members of Boko Haram were swapped with some Nigerians they had abducted. So, the government should consider the plight of both the abducted girls and the parents.
“For me, it is not a failure if the government swaps these girls with relations of the bandits as demanded. We hope that the government will listen to our calls and consider the swap option rather than the kinetic approach the government is opting for.”
Also, another parent, Alhaji Muhammad Malami, said, “The use of power will not work at this critical time because anything can happen to our children. We, therefore, call on the government to think twice on this matter.
According to him, “The government should not be a cause-agent for the death of our children. Rather, it should be a cause for the rescue of our children. We want them alive. It is now more than three months after the abduction of these girls.
“Those in the corridors of power should assume these girls are their children; how are they going to feel? They should fear Almighty Allah and do everything possible to rescue them alive. We don’t want them to die in the hands of bandits.
“We have been praying for their return and we will continue to pray until they return to us safely. No one would want his child to spend three months in the custody of bandits, especially during this harmattan season.
“Remember, these children are spending days in an open space without shelter and medical attention whatsoever. This is terrible. We pray that Allah will return all of them to us very soon. But, sincerely speaking, we are calling on the government to reconsider using the kinetic approach in rescuing our children.”
During a recent wedding fatiha in Abuja, Professor Ali Pantami, a former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, offered prayers for the safe return of the kidnapped students from Zamfara varsity and the Federal University Dutsinma (FUDMA) in Katsina State.
According to Pantami, “Any father whose daughter is held hostage is definitively in agony as it may be more painful when a daughter is held hostage by criminals than a male child. They have been abducted for over 90 days. May Allah protect their chastity, faith and lives and reunite them with their families soon.”
Daily Trust contacted the Office of the National Security (ONSA) regarding the matter yesterday, and an official source assured that the well-being of the girls will not be jeopardized.
“The NSA, Malam Nuhu Ribadu is working day and night with all the security agencies to ensure that captives are freed. The recent release of female students of Federal University Dutsinma is a good example and a testimony to the efforts being put in place,” the source said.
