The remaining 130 Nigerian schoolchildren abducted in November from a Catholic school in Niger state have been released, President Bola Tinubu's spokesperson said on Sunday, following one of the country's biggest mass kidnappings of recent years.
Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare announced the news on X, stating: “Another 130 pupils abducted in Niger State have been released; none remain in captivity.”
The students are among more than 300 pupils and 12 staff seized by gunmen from St Mary's Catholic boarding school in Papiri village in the early hours of 21 November.
Fifty of the children managed to escape at the time, the Christian Association of Nigeria has previously said, while Nigeria's government said on 8 December that it had managed to rescue 100 of those abducted.
Onanuga said the total of freed students is now 230.
The abduction caused outrage over worsening insecurity in northern Nigeria, where armed gangs frequently target schools for ransom. School kidnappings surged after Boko Haram militants abducted 276 girls from Chibok in 2014.
Mass kidnappings in Nigeria are commonly carried out for ransom, highlighting the country’s ongoing security challenges. Armed groups frequently target schools, particularly in the northern regions.
Nigeria, with a population of 230 million, continues to face multiple security threats, including jihadist activity in the north-east and armed “bandit” gangs in the north-west, with both Christians and Muslims frequently caught in the violence.
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A Turkish fishing vessel rescued migrants from a boat in distress in international waters off Malta on Sunday (7 June), after the overcrowded craft capsized in the central Mediterranean.
The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's proposal to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as efforts to secure a ceasefire continue.
A powerful earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday (8 June), killing at least 15 people and triggering tsunami warnings across the region.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 8 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The Iranian national football team is set to arrive in North America for the World Cup after finally securing travel documents, but a dispute over U.S. visa approvals continues to cast a shadow over the country's tournament preparations.
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