- Army rescues 137, over half of kidnapped students missing
- Operation liberates students and staff in Zamfara, no force details
- President pledges liberation without ransom amid rising abduction cases
The military has disclosed data indicating that more than half of the children who were abducted from the remote town of Kuriga earlier this month may still be unaccounted for.
The army has rescued over a hundred students and staff who were abducted by militants from a Nigerian school over two weeks ago; however, it appears that many more remain unaccounted for.
One hundred thirty-sevenSecurity forces reportedly liberated 137 detainees in the wee hours of Sunday. It follows on March 7 a mass abduction in the remote settlement of Kuriga, located in the state of Kaduna in the northwest.
According to military spokesman Major General Edward Buba, 61 males and 76 females were liberated in the adjacent state of Zamfara.
He stated, “The military, in collaboration with local authorities and government agencies across the nation, rescued the hostages in the early hours of March 24, 2024, in a coordinated search and rescue operation.”
Immediately, it was unknown whether force was employed in the rescue operation.
Earlier, a security source reported that the pupils had been discovered in a forest and were being escorted to the capital of Kaduna by the army for medical examinations before their reunion with their families.
Nevertheless, it was initially reported that 287 faculty members and students had been abducted, indicating that over half of the captives may still be in captivity.
Regarding the inconsistency, officials were not accessible for comment at this time.
Uba Sani, the governor of Kaduna, expressed gratitude to Bola Tinubu, the president of Nigeria, for “ensuring the safe release of the abducted Kuriga schoolchildren.”
He stated, “The Nigerian army should be commended in particular for demonstrating that criminal elements can be degraded and community security restored with courage, determination, and dedication.”
The gunmen demanded one billion naira (equivalent to £486,000) for the liberation of the children last week.
Mr Tinubu, on the other hand, had pledged to free the pupils “without paying a dime” in ransom.
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This month has witnessed a minimum of three mass abductions in Nigeria, the first such incident since 2021, when over 150 students were abducted from a Kaduna high school.
A decade ago, in Chibok, Borno State’s northeast, Islamist extremists abducted 276 schoolgirls. Since then, such abductions have been a significant source of concern.
Notwithstanding inciting global indignation and a #BringBackOurGirls movement, sure students remain unaccounted for.
After its inception, this strategy has gained significant traction among criminal organisations devoid of any ideological inclination, which exact ransom from travellers and villagers.
As a result, communities and families have been compelled to combine their savings and frequently sell land, livestock, and grain to secure the release of their loved ones.
