The Federal Government has concluded plans to temporarily relocate the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation from Afaka to a safer location within Kaduna metropolis.
The plans were initiated following the recent kidnap of 37 students at the institution.
The government also announced that, school fees of all the 37 kidnapped and released students have been waived throughout their study in the institution.
Provost of the College, Dr. Usman M.B disclosed this on Monday while addressing a press conference at the College in Afaka, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
NewsSpecng had reported that, bandits on 11th March, 2021 stormed the College around 10pm and whisked 37 students, mostly females into the forest.
While, 10 of them were released in two batches – on 5th and 12th April, 2021 respectively, the remaining 27 students were released on 5th May, after spending 55 days in captivity.
According to the Prevost, “the Hon. Minister of Environment, Dr. Muhammad Mahmood Abubakar has concluded plans to temporarily relocate the College to a safer place; put in place adequate security as well as vehicles to serve as shuttle to convey staff and students alike from the temporary site to designated bus stops within the Kaduna metropolis. All these would be communicated to all as soon as the arrangement has been perfected.
“Similarly, the Hon. Minister has directed that the school fees of the affected students be waived for the programmes they are currently running. Therefore, for those of them presently on ND programme, the HND fees would be waived accordingly,” he said.
Recalling the events around the kidnap incident, the Provost said, “It is important to state at this juncture that the frantic efforts of all the stakeholders including the Hon. Minister and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, the Board Chairman, DG-FRIN and the Commissioner of Police, Kaduna State Command, Alh. Umar Musa Muri led to the rescue of the first ten set of the abducted students.
