Another 130 abducted schoolchildren released in Nigeria

Nigerian authorities announced that they had secured the release of the remaining 130 students kidnapped from a Catholic boarding school in the country’s central Niger state.

The Nigerian federal government described the latest version as follows: “moment of triumph and relief”in the wake of one of the country’s worst mass kidnappings.

More than 250 children and staff were abducted from St Mary’s Catholic school in Papiri on 21 November. Nearly 100 children were released earlier this month.

Authorities stated that “not a single student was left in captivity” and confirmed in their statement that “the remaining 130 children and staff were rescued”.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said on Sunday that the total number of students released was 230.

Since the kidnapping, the exact number of those abducted and how many remain in captivity remains unclear.

It has not been officially made public how the government achieved the final release or whether any ransom was paid.

Announcement from Onanuga There were pictures of children smiling and waving. The students are expected to arrive in Minna, the capital of Niger state, on Monday.

When the earlier announcement took place, Abdullahi Sule, governor of neighboring Nasarawa state, told local media that the federal government was playing a key role, adding that behind-the-scenes efforts could not be disclosed for security reasons.

The Christian Association of Nigeria reported that 50 students managed to escape during the kidnapping.

The November kidnapping was the latest in a growing number of targeted attacks on schools and places of worship in northern and central Nigeria.

There were mass kidnappings just days before the attack on St Mary’s in November.

On November 18, two people were killed and 38 people were kidnapped in the attack on the Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara state. The day before, two people were killed and 25 Muslim students were kidnapped from the Government Girls Secondary School in Kebbi province.

All those captured in the Kwara and Kebbi attacks were released.

It is unclear who is behind these kidnappings; most analysts believe they are carried out by criminal gangs demanding ransom payments.

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on December 9 said his government We will continue to work with Niger and other states “to ensure the safety of our schools and make the learning environment safer and more conducive for our youth.”