Freed Kaduna Student: Bandits fed us with spaghetti and fruits

Francis Paul, a 200 Level Student of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, who was recently released by bandits has narrated how their abductors treated them in captivity.

Armed men had invaded the school in March and abducted 39 students but five of the captives were freed earlier in the week.

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Speaking with Daily Trust on Wednesday, the victim said bandits fed them twice a day and gave them dirty river water to drink.

He said on the day they were abducted, the bandits took them into the forest on motorcycles.

“The feeding was very poor, it was just God that was kept us till the day we were released. They gave us dirty water to drink and also fed us twice a day with spaghetti and fruits.

“The food was not enough because we are many and they will drop it in one plate before you put your hand it has finished. We were all forced to sleep on the floor,” he said

He said the video released showing the students being beaten by the bandits was true “because the bandits said we should be beaten so that we can talk about the money they wanted from the government”.

‘They said if the government sees us being beaten they will be serious in sending the money.”

Asked if any of the females were raped or molested he said “No nobody was raped or molested“

Asked how he feels being released, he said “ I do feel happy that I’m released but when I think of my other colleagues I don’t feel happy because being there in the bush it is not fun and not nice. It’s just prayers to God that helped us because those people don’t know God.”

He also said that the bandits gave them a message to Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

“They asked us to tell the governor that they should pay them money if they want the remaining students to be released or they will hurt the students. This is the message they asked us to tell the Governor,” he said.