The Nigerian government has confirmed the release of a further 130 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State in November, completing the rescue of all pupils taken during one of the country’s largest recent mass kidnappings.
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 post was accompanied by a photo of the smiling children.
In late November, armed assailants targeted St. Mary’s co-educational boarding school in Papiri village, abducting hundreds of students and staff. The incident is being regarded as one of the largest mass kidnappings in Nigeria in recent years.
According to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), a total of 315 pupils and staff were initially abducted. Fifty managed to escape immediately, while the government announced on 7 December that around 100 more had been rescued.
UN sources report that the freed children will be taken to Minna, the state capital, later this week. It remains unclear who was behind the abductions and the precise circumstances of the children’s release.
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.
The recent wave of abductions has drawn comparisons with the 2014 Chibok schoolgirl kidnappings carried out by Boko Haram. 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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