When contacted on the phone yesterday, the Registrar of Caleb University, Imota, Lagos State, Mrs. Folake Okor, confirmed the school resumed only last week.
She was, however, furious that New Telegraph carried the story of the abduction of the girl, said to still be in the den of kidnappers. Okor, who angrily cut off her phone, said she was not disposed to discuss further with the newspaper.
At press time, the registrar did not respond to a text message sent to her phone on whether it was true that the abducted student was seen on campus yesterday or not.
Okor also confirmed the university had no public relations officer who could speak on the issue. But Rachel’s traumatised father said what was uppermost in his mind was how to facilitate Rachel’s release. He said: “They demanded N30 million, but later reduced it to N10 million.
I don’t even know where I can get that sort of money from. Is it because I’m struggling to send my daughter to a private university that they thought I had money? “We don’t mind dying for our daughter.
What was paramount to us on that fateful day was her safety. We have not eaten any food since she was kidnapped. We are fasting and praying for her release.”
Chukwuemeka, who spoke with our correspondent yesterday at their Epe residence, said his daughter was worth dying for. Rachel was said to have been abducted by six men.
Four among the men scaled the fence of the victim’s building, broke down their door, before snatching her. The men later contacted Rachel’s parents for ransom. Recalling the event of the day Rachel was abducted, He said: “The event of that day has been enshrined in my memory. It left a bad memory for me. We were all in our different rooms when the armed men stormed our flat after breaking the door. They came about 2 a.m.
They were armed with axes and machetes. They forced their way into our home and took my daughter away. “Four of the men entered our apartment. They didn’t ask for money. They went straight to my daughter’s room, where she was sleeping and ordered her to follow them.
They bundled her into their Sienna car, which was parked outside our compound and zoomed off.” According to him, when the kidnappers were dragging Rachel, she screamed, calling for help. He and his wife couldn’t resist hearkening to the cries of their daughter. They tried to stop the kid-nappers and wrest Rachel from men’s grip, but they received machete cuts. He noted: “Her and I mother tried to stop the kidnappers from taking her away.
But soon, my blood was flowing from the injury they inflicted on my head. My wife was also injured. She was injured on the head and other parts of her body. We were rushed to the hospital.
“Three days after she was abducted, I was allowed to speak with her on the phone. When I talked to her, she was crying. She begged me to come and take her away from the kidnappers.
She said I should give them whatever they wanted.” When our correspondent visited the victim’s home, some bricklayers were fixing the damaged door.
Some sympathisers were seen consoling Rachel’s mother, who was weeping. Chukwuemeka said: “Whenever my daughter is at home, she’s always indoors, operating her laptop. She doesn’t relate with anybody in our area. If not that Caleb University is not in session, she would have been at school; probably this incident would have been prevented.
I have been in Epe since 1995; I have not witnessed such an ugly incident. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police should help us to rescue our daughter.” But when contacted again yesterday, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olarinde Famous-Cole, said Rachel had been released.
He said: “The girl has been released. She is now with her parents. She was rescued by the DPO in charge of Epe and his men.” Asked when Rachel was released, Famous-Cole said: “She was released about four or five days ago.”
A resident, who simply identified himself as Ahmed, said the injury on Chukwuemeka was so serious that he had to be rushed to the nearest hospital.
He added: “Despite Mobile Policemen patrolling the area, kidnappers are still operating freely, abducting residents. Security agencies should rise to tackle this recurring problem in Epe.” Another resident, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, urged government to ensure that top security is placed along Epe axis.
He noted: “Majority of commercial drivers don’t like coming to Epe anymore because kidnappers always lay siege along Molajoye Bridge; this bridge links Epe to other areas. This is where kidnappers operate always, abducting people. We are begging the police and government to focus on this Molajoye Bridge.”
Source; New Telegraph
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