Nigerian Students Released After Mass Abduction

Nigerian pupils who were abducted in a mass kidnapping in the north-western town of Kuriga  on 7 March 2024, have been freed unharmed.

The daring rescue operation was carried out by the security forces, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to safeguarding innocent lives.

The incident unfolded when gunmen targeted the school, taking more than 280 children hostage. However, the army’s intervention led to the liberation of 137 hostages from their captors.

The operation was executed in the early hours of Sunday, March 24, 2024, just days before the kidnappers’ ransom deadline.

While the school authorities initially reported a higher number of abducted children, the army’s count differs. Officials have yet to address this discrepancy, leaving questions unanswered.

Kidnap gangs, commonly known as bandits, have terrorized northern Nigeria, seizing thousands of people in recent years. Despite an overall decline in such attacks, six mass abductions this month have shaken parts of the region.

The kidnappers demanded a staggering sum of $690,000 (£548,000) for the release of the Kuriga children, aged between eight and fifteen. In a resolute stand, the government declared that it would not yield to ransom demands.

Kaduna state governor Uba Sani expressed his elation, praising Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu for ensuring the safe return of the abducted schoolchildren. The children, who endured seventeen days in captivity, can now breathe a sigh of relief.

Military spokesman Maj Gen Edward Bubaconfirmed that 76 girls and 61 boys were rescued from Zamfara state, which shares a border with Kaduna to the north-west.

Photos released by the military depict these young survivors, sitting in buses, their faces marked by dust and exhaustion.

The mass abduction occurred on the morning of March 7th during an assembly in a compound that housed both a junior and senior school.

Witnesses reported that the pupils were gathered on the assembly ground around 08:30 (07:30 GMT) when a group of gunmen on motorcycles stormed the area.

They proceeded to seize 187 students from the secondary school and 125 from the local primary school. The exact number of abducted teachers remains unclear. Fortunately, twenty-five students managed to escape and return safely.

Tragically, one pupil, believed to be 14 years old, lost their life after being shot by the gunmen during the abduction.