Deputy Governor Adebule at the school

Kazeem Ugbodaga

Abducted three female students of the Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, Ikorodu, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria are yet to be released by their abductors, even as the Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule visited the school today.

Three female students of the school were abducted by about 15 gunmen on Monday evening, with the police yet to unravel the mystery of the missing children despite combing the nooks and crannies of Ikorodu.

Adebule on Wednesday paid a visit to the school to assure them of government’s full support to ensure that the girls were released.

The deputy Governor was accompanied on the visit by top government functionaries and the heads of security agencies in the state. She said as a mother and Commissioner of the Ministry of Education, she could imagine the pains which the parents were going through as a result of th4e unfortunate development, but that government would leave nothing to chance until the three girls involved are rescued alive.

According to her, the state government, under the leadership of Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, was very much concerned about the plight of the affected parents and the school, and that it was on top of the situation and working hard in conjunction with security agencies to promptly reunite the children with their families.

Adebule appealed passionately to the kidnappers to release the girls immediately, as the victims were innocent of whatever reasons that prompted their action.
“On behalf of the Governor and all of us in the Ministry of Education, we are here to share your pain and off course to see first-hand what has happened on Monday. The Governor has directed that we assure you and the general public that with the combined efforts of all the security agencies that the children, by the grace of God, will be rescued very soon.

“This came as a rude shock to us because nobody anticipated it; it’s quite unfortunate and very worrisome but I like to assure you that by the grace of God, we are going to receive good news very shortly.

“For the abductors, I just want to appeal to them that they should see that the people with them are children who do not know anything and in the spirit of that and the fact that they also have their children, they should release the children to their parents. We appeal to their conscience that whatever reasons they might have for doing this, the children are innocent and we passionately appeal to them to release the children,” she said.

“For the parents at home, they should just be calm, government is on top of the situation and we want to assure that with the combined efforts of security agencies, we will rescue these girls alive very soon. Again, as the Commissioner of Education and as a mother, I feel the pains of the parents and I like them to know that our hearts are with them and the state government under the leadership of his Excellency, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode will leave no stone unturned in ensuring the rescue of these girls very soon,” she added.

Proprietor of the School and Bishop of Remo Diocese of Anglican Church of Nigeria, Dr. Michael Fape said government’s action and that of the security agencies were encouraging and assuring that the girls would soon be rescued.