Family begs to swap relative for ailing student captive (Epe Kidnap)

Family members of one of the ailing students that was
abducted by suspected militants last Thursday, at the
Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, in Eredo Local
Council Development Area of Epe, have appealed to
the abductors to release their relative for treatment,
saying they were ready to swap another family
member for the sick captive.
The family said it had managed to raise N1 million,
which was contributed by relatives and friends. A
strange call, suspected to be from the kidnappers, was
received at 1.35p.m. yesterday, but the person at the
other end was said to be silent. A relative, who spoke
on condition of anonymity, said:
“My sister received a call. But the person
refused to talk. Even at that, she begged the
unknown caller to release our relative. “She told
them that we have been able to raise N1 million
and are ready to swap any of us with the ailing
relative.
” Another call also came at 6.15p.m., where the caller
warned that their patience was being over-stretched,
following the delay in payment of ransom. … as
students return to school.
Meanwhile, some students, whose parents hurriedly
took home in panic last Thursday, returned to the
school yesterday. Most of those sighted were Junior
Secondary School 1 students, who were resuming for
the new term.
Security operatives in the school include officers of
the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, and two
neighbourhood watch vans that drove in at 11a.m., to
take over from their colleagues that had been on
ground. A female member of staff, who spoke with
Vanguard, said:
“You can’t abandon your home because
something bad happened. All you need do is to
beef up security. “This is our home and these
are our children too. Not to carry on with
activities is to put tension in the children.”

Vanguard