The Nigerian government reunited the last group of children kidnapped last month with their families Monday.
There were 130 children in the final group of children who were kidnapped last month. A gunman kidnapped 215 children and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri in Niger State, which is in the northeastern part of Nigeria. Not long after the kidnapping, 50 children escaped and another 100 were released on December 7.
Presidential spokesman Sunday Dare confirmed on X on Sunday that the final group had been released.
“Another 130 abducted Niger state pupils released, none left in captivity,” he said.
Niger State Police Chief Adamu Abdullahi Elleman told the BBC on Sunday that the children were being “examined by security forces and will be taken to their school [Monday] to reunite with their families.”
The last group were released from captivity near Nigeria’s border with Benin, but there was no mention of how they were freed or who was behind the abduction.
Armed gangs of bandits roam the countryside in Nigeria, and rural areas are especially vulnerable.
In May 2021, 135 kids from an Islamic seminary were abducted in Niger State. In 2014, more than 200 girls were kidnapped in Chibok, Nigeria.
There were 4 722 kidnapping victims in Nigeria between July 2024 and June 2024, according to Lagos-based geopolitical advisory SBM Intelligence. At least 762 people were killed and about $1.66 million paid as ransom in total.
On November 18, two people were killed and 25 Muslim students abducted from Government Girls’ Secondary School in Kebbi state. Two girls escaped soon after, and all have since been freed.
President Donald Trump has threatened to take military action in Nigeria. He designated the country one of particular concern, citing “Christian genocide.” Nigeria has rejected that, calling it an oversimplification.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians,” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said in a statement.
On December 9, Tinubu said on X that his government would continue to work “to secure our schools and make the learning environment safer and more conducive for our younger ones.” (UPI)
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