About 100 children abducted from a Catholic school in central Nigeria last month have been released and reunited with authorities.
The children arrived in the Niger State capital, Minna, in a convoy of minibuses under heavy military escort, including armoured vehicles, and were received by Governor Umar Bago.
Authorities have not disclosed details surrounding their release, including whether it was achieved through negotiations or a security operation, or if any ransom was paid.
Last month, gunmen abducted more than 250 students and 12 staff members from St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, marking the latest incident in a series of mass kidnappings targeting schools in the region.
Governor Abdullahi Sule of neighbouring Nasarawa State told local media that the federal government played a crucial role in securing the children’s freedom, but said details of the operation could not be made public for security reasons.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, visited Papiri last week and held talks with a delegation led by Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna. He had assured them that efforts were underway to rescue the abducted children and reunite them with their families.
