300 School Children Freed In Northern Nigeria After Over 2 Weeks In Captivity

Nearly 300 school children who were abducted by gunmen in Northern Nigeria have been released unharmed before the given deadline to pay $690,000 as ransom. According to a news report by AP, the children were abducted from a remote town Kuriga, in the Northwestern state of Kaduna, two weeks ago on March 7. This was the first mass abduction since 2021 in the state. 

In a report by Reuters, a security source has been quoted as saying that the students were rescued from a forest in the neighbouring Zamfara state. The children who are being escorted by the army will undergo medical tests in the Kaduna capital before being reunited with their families.

Although details about the abducted children have not been shared, Kaduna state Governor Uba Sani thanked the Nigerian president Bola Tinubu for ensuring the safe release of the children. The president had earlier vowed to get the children back without paying any ransom. Sani also praised the army for their support in the rescue.

In 2022, lawmakers passed a bill to penalise ransom payments, but Nigerian kidnappers are known for their brutality which forces many families to succumb to their demands.

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“The Nigerian Army also deserves special commendation for showing that, with courage, determination and commitment, criminal elements can be degraded and security restored in our communities,” said Sani in a report by Reuters.

The kidnapping of the 300 students is not an isolated occurrence, about a week ago 15 children were abducted by a group of gunmen, in another northwestern state, Sokoto. A few days ago, a group of 200 women and children were displaced by conflict and kidnapped in the northeastern Borno state.

As per AP, arrests are rare in these mass kidnappings, as desperate families pay ransoms often collected by selling land, cattle and grain for the release of victims or through negotiations with the government and security officials. Over 3,500 people have been abducted across Nigeria in the last year, according to the AP report citing the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project.