“Are we animals?” – Headteacher of Niger school where 136 pupils were abducted weep on TV

The headteacher of Salihu Tanko Islamiyya school in Tegina town, Rafi LGA, in Niger state, broke down in tears on Live TV, as he accused the government of neglect.

He revealed that his child was also kidnaped by the bandits.

136 pupils were kidnapped by armed bandits on the 27th of May 2021, and they have gone on to request a ransom of N200 million.

In an emotional-laden interview on AriseTV today, June 4, the headteacher of the school, Abubakar Alhassan, whose child was also abducted alongside his sister, broke down in tears as he accused the state government officials of not contacting the state government of neglecting them or even showing sympathy to them.

“My own children. They took them to an unknown place. They took them to bushes where they are to sleep on the ground. No leaf, no mat. How do you expect them to live like that?

All eyes are on me as the head teacher. I have witnessed the funeral prayers of one of the parents very close to the school. She had just one child in the school.

She wasn’t around when the incident happened. When she came back, they told her that this is what is happening. Before you know, within 10-15 minutes, she fainted and that was the end of her, she died. That was the day before yesterday.

One day after the incident happened, another parent, a woman, died from heart attack.

The government, are we not Nigerians? Are we not Nigerlites? That the government cannot intervene in this issue? This money they are sending to them from the Federal government, is it their money? No sympathy at all. None of the government officials didn’t say hi or sorry to us. Are we animals? We are not. We are Nigerians. I am too sad”

The state government on Wednesday said it was doing everything possible to ensure the safe return of the students.