Two weeks after they were taken away in what was one of Nigeria’s largest mass kidnapping in years, scores of schoolchildren abducted from Kuriga, Kaduna have were on Saturday night released by their captors.
Africa Today News, New York recalls that the students, numbering 287, were kidnapped when the gunmen on motorcycles rode through their school, whisking them away in an incident that sparked national outrage and condemnation.
But weeks after the gunmen locally known as bandits seized them, the schoolchildren, mostly between 8 and 15 years old, regained their freedom.
The Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani said in an early Sunday statement said; “In the name of Allah the Beneficient, the Most Merciful, I wish to announce that our Kuriga school children have been released.”
He thanked President Bola Tinubu, government officials and security agencies for their role in the students’ freedom.
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“While the school children were in captivity, I spoke with Mr. President several times,” he said. “He shared our pains, comforted us and worked round the clock with us to ensure the safe return of the children.”
Although the mass kidnapping of students have reduced in recent months since the bandits began targeting schools, the Kuriga abduction was reminiscent of the April 2014 seizure of over 200 students in Chibok, Borno State.
President Tinubu and military authorities in the country, were, however, “confident that the victims will be rescued” . The former Lagos State governor ruled out the payment of ransom.
To match his words with action, he gave marching orders to troops to ensure the safe return of the students.
“The Kaduna State Government and Security Agencies are working round the clock to ensure the safe return of the school children,” Governor Sani wrote on his X account just after the incident.
“I have received strong assurances from the President and National Security Adviser that no stone will be left unturned to bring back the children.”