The March 7 kidnapping in Kaduna State was one of the largest kidnappings in recent years and sparked nationwide protests over security.
More than 130 students abducted by gunmen from a Nigerian school earlier this month have been released “unharmed” days before a ransom deadline, officials said.
Government spokesperson Abdulaziz Abdulaziz told Al Jazeera on Sunday that freeing the students who were abducted on March 7 in Kuriga, a dusty town in Kaduna state, “requires significant backchannel involvement. It was,” he said. It was the first mass kidnapping in Nigeria since 2021.
“[All] All of the students released were safe,'' he said, adding that the official number of students released was 137, which is higher than most media reports of 286 students and one staff member. Much less. He insisted that media reports were false, but did not provide further details.
Earlier, Governor Uba Sani of northwestern Kaduna state said in a statement that the hostages were freed as a result of a “security operation” coordinated by the country's national security adviser.
“We… thank all Nigerians who fervently prayed for the safe return of our schoolchildren. Today is truly a day of joy,” the governor said.
In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful, we would like to announce that the students of Kuligah School have been released.
The safety and security of Nigerians, especially… pic.twitter.com/yGauTZt9BN
— Senator Uba Sani (@ubasanius) March 24, 2024
“The Nigerian military also deserves special praise for showing that through courage, determination and dedication, they can undermine criminal elements and restore security to communities,” Sani added in the statement.
In Nigeria, students are frequently abducted from schools by armed groups operating out of control regardless of ideology. On March 9, 15 students were kidnapped from a school in Gidanbakuso village in Sokoto State, and on March 18, at least 87 people, including women, were captured in Kaduna's Kajuru area.
In recent years, abductions have been concentrated in the northwestern and central regions of the country, where dozens of armed groups often target villagers and tourists for ransom, and families and communities struggle to get their loved ones released. They are forced to sell their land, cattle and grain to secure their land. In some cases, we also do crowdfunding on social media sites.
Gunmen in Kaduna last week demanded a total of 1 billion naira ($680,000) for the release of children and staff, vowing to kill the victims if payment was not made within 20 days. But Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu said he would “not pay a penny” after the practice was outlawed in 2022 in a bid to crack down on attackers. Those who pay the ransom could be sentenced to 15 years in prison.
School kidnappings in Nigeria were first carried out in 2014 by the armed group Boko Haram, which captured 276 students from a girls' school in Chibok, northeastern Borno state. Some of the girls have not yet been released, and most were forced into marriage with fighters.
In another mass kidnapping incident in July 2021, armed groups attacked more than 150 students. The students were reunited with their families several months later, after paying the ransom.
A total of approximately 1,400 children have been abducted since 2014.
