Nigerians have expressed profound relief as 130 schoolchildren and their teachers were formally presented to the public on Monday, following their release from a harrowing mass abduction. The group was seized in a brutal attack on their Catholic school in Niger state a month ago, in one of the largest kidnappings of its kind in the nation's history.
A Month of Captivity Ends
The emotional reunion took place at a government ceremony, where some of the released children appeared malnourished or in a state of shock. Police confirmed the group was freed on Sunday, ending a terrifying ordeal that began when gunmen stormed the school in the Papiri community in a predawn raid. Authorities announced plans to reunite all the children with their families before Christmas.
Conflicting Numbers and a Pattern of Violence
Initial reports stated that 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were taken, with 50 managing to escape shortly after the attack. However, on Monday, Niger state Governor Mohammed Bago revised the figures, indicating that 230 individuals were originally abducted and that all had now been released. This discrepancy highlights the chaos often surrounding such incidents.
School kidnappings have become a grim hallmark of the insecurity plaguing Africa's most populous nation. Officials did not disclose whether a ransom was paid, a common demand in such abductions. While no group has claimed responsibility, local residents point the finger at armed gangs who routinely target schools and travellers for ransom across Nigeria's conflict-ridden northern regions.
Community Trauma and a Pledge for Security
The school confirmed that most of those seized were aged between 10 and 17. One child, released earlier, provided a chilling account to The Associated Press, recounting how gunmen threatened to shoot them during the initial assault.
Speaking at Monday's event, Major General Adamu Garba Laka, national coordinator at Nigeria’s Center for Counter Terrorism, pledged that the government would collaborate with community leaders to enhance safety in high-risk areas. This promise comes as the nation grapples with a deep-rooted crisis that has seen hundreds of students kidnapped from their classrooms in recent years, casting a long shadow over education and security in the region.
