Parents of the 37 students of the College of Forestry Mechanization freed from captivity have denied reports that the students were sexually molested by the bandits who abducted them.
The parents said their primary focus now that the students were free was rehabilitation for their children.
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The parents in a statement signed by their chairman Abdullahi Usman were reacting to a May 11 online publication to the effect that an unidentified parent of one of the 27 students said the students, both male and female, “were sexually, homosexually molested by the bandits” while in captivity.
The parents described the revelation by the anonymous parent as unfortunate and irresponsible and should be retracted as it does nothing but aggravate the trauma the parents and the released students are working hard to overcome.
“On behalf of the parents of the Forum of the 37 Abducted Students (now released), we wish to set the records straight and hope that this will end the circulation of the fabrication which the story is.
“We state in unequivocal terms that none of the 37 kidnapped (now freed) Afaka students was sexually or homosexually molested by the bandits.
“In fact, by divine Providence, according to the testimony of all the released students, one bandit lost his life on the mere mention of the desire to sexually molest a student.
“To be sure, the students confessed that ‘He didn’t even actually attempt it; he was just saying it, and yet he was killed and we were asked to take his corpse and deposit it in a nearby bush because they said he was not worthy of a proper burial,” The parents said.
They further call on Nigerians, who stood by them from the time the children were abducted to the date the last 27 were released, to disregard the story and continue to pray for the continued rehabilitation of the children so that they may get back to normal life again very soon.
