Published 6th May, 2021

By Socrates Mbamalu

Nigeria’s President and former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (Retired) on Tuesday appealed to armed bandits for the release of the remaining 17 kidnapped students of Greenfield University.

Twenty-three students of Greenfield University were kidnapped on April 18 and a ransom of N800 million was demanded from the parents of the students. The kidnappers subsequently killed five of the students but released one on Wednesday.

The President made the appeal when he welcomed the release of the 27 students of the Federal College of Forestry and Mechanization, Afaka, Kaduna State. He congratulated the families, friends and the government of Kaduna State for the release of the students who had spent 56 days in captivity.

“Our deep appreciation to all who contributed one way or the other to this happy outcome, in particular the defence and security agencies, the officials of the Ministry of Environment, and the Government of Kaduna State. We equally thank Nigerians for their prayers,” he said.

The 39 students from the College of Forestry were kidnapped on March 11 around 9:30 pm just some weeks after the Jangebe kidnapping whose victims were 279 female students. The College of Forestry, located 17.6km away from the Nigerian Defence Academy, a 24-minute drive, was not enough to keep the armed bandits at bay.

The rise of insecurity in the northern part of the country has seen a rise in kidnappings, forcing schools to shut down. Buhari, who came to power on the narrative of being a retired general in the Nigerian Army, and thus well-suited to tackle the nation’s security issues, has since failed to rise to the challenge posed to his administration.

“I again appeal for the release of the students of Greenfield University and all other citizens held in captivity. We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that Nigerians live in a country where everyone can move where and when they want — without the fear of kidnapping & banditry.”

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