The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the Northern Region and the FCT, Rev. John Hayab, has revealed that a parent died of a heart attack following the abduction of his three children at St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State.
Speaking to ARISE News on Tuesday, Hayab described the trauma faced by families whose children were kidnapped in Kebbi, Kwara, and Niger states over the past week.
He said the man, simply identified as Mr Anthony, was overwhelmed by the shock of losing his children.
“People want to see concrete action. Imagine a mother or a father whose daughter… one of the parents (Mr Anthony) of these girls picked in the school, died yesterday of a heart attack because three of his children are victims,” he said.
PUNCH Online has not been able to independently verify his claim.
But he added, “People don’t understand that when you tell it as it is, you’re not speaking against anybody; you are only trying to state the problem.
“The pains and the trauma are still very fresh. We tried speaking to the parents today, and they were scared of speaking to us.”
Parents of the dozens of children abducted from the Catholic school in Niger State are growing increasingly desperate.
Speaking to the leadership of the church in Kontagora, Hayab said, “It was a very sad thing. You can imagine a man in shock because three children… he would not know what to explain, what is happening to them.”
“People don’t understand this. These children have not slept, they have not bathed, and their parents cannot even explain where they are,” he stressed.
Hayab also revealed that reports from locals in Niger State showed no visible security presence, stating that Nigerians want action, not statements.
“The onus is now on the Nigerian security agencies to ensure that we don’t speak about this on television. People want to see concrete action,” he said.
He added that 50 senior students returned on their own after fleeing into the bush during the bandit attack, but over 265 students remain unaccounted for, most aged between nine and 14.
The PUNCH