Nigeria releases 130 more kidnapped schoolchildren

Nigerian authorities say they have secured the release of the remaining 130 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic boarding school in the country’s central Niger state.

Nigeria’s federal government described the latest version as “A moment of victory and relief.”One of the country’s worst mass kidnappings occurred.

On November 21, more than 250 children and staff were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri. Earlier this month, about 100 children were released.

Authorities confirmed in a statement that “the remaining 130 children and staff have been rescued” and said “not a single student is being held.”

The total number of students released so far stands at 230, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said on Sunday.

The exact number of people abducted since the kidnappings and how many remain in captivity is unclear.

It has not been officially disclosed how the government obtained the latest version, or whether a ransom was paid.

this Announcements from Onanuga Include photos of children smiling and waving. The students are expected to arrive in Minna, the Niger state capital, on Monday.

Earlier in the release, Abdullahi Sule, the governor of neighboring Nasarawa state, told local media that the federal government played a key role, adding that the work behind the scenes could not be disclosed for security reasons.

The Christian Council of Nigeria reported that 50 students managed to escape at the time of the kidnapping.

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

St. Mary’s Church was attacked in November and a mass kidnapping occurred days earlier.

On November 18, an attack occurred at the Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara State, killing two people and abducting 38 people. The day before, two people died and 25 Muslim students were abducted at the Government Girls Secondary School in Kebbi State.

All those arrested in the Kwara and Kebbi attacks have been released.

It is unclear who is behind the kidnappings – most analysts believe they are carried out by criminal gangs seeking ransom.

On December 9, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu his government says We will continue to work with Niger and other countries to “ensure our schools are safe and make learning environments safer and more beneficial for our young people”.