About 100 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State last month have been handed over to Governor Umar Bago, a day after authorities secured their release.
The children, many wearing football jerseys and long robes, arrived at the Niger State Government House in white buses escorted by military vans and armoured vehicles. Governor Bago welcomed them alongside the emir and other state officials.
According to a list seen by AFP, most of the released children are between the ages of 10 and 17. The school also catered to nursery-age pupils.
The students were among 315 children and staff abducted two weeks ago from their boarding school in Papiri, a remote rural community. While 100 have now been freed and 50 escaped shortly after the attack, dozens remain missing.
Authorities have not disclosed who kidnapped the children or the circumstances that led to their release. Kidnappings for ransom remain common in northern Nigeria, but a surge in mass abductions in November has further heightened concerns about the country’s worsening security situation.
