Another 130 Schoolchildren Freed from Militants in Nigeria 0 13

In Nigeria, another 130 students from the St. Mary’s Catholic boarding school have been freed, part of the 303 children abducted by militants at the end of November. These are the last schoolchildren who were in their hands, according to a statement from Nigeria's presidential spokesperson, Sunday Dare, published on the social network X on the evening of Sunday, December 21, along with a photograph of smiling children.

"Another 130 students abducted in Niger State have been freed. No one remains in captivity," the statement reads. Details of the students' release from the hands of the militants are not disclosed in the post.

Abduction of Students and Staff in Nigeria On November 22, the Christian Association of Nigeria reported the abduction of 303 students and 12 teachers from the St. Mary’s boarding school located in the town of Papiri in Niger State. It later became known that 50 of the captives managed to escape from the militants.

On December 7, the local television channel Channels Television, as well as the AFP agency, independently reported the release of one hundred children.

Kidnappings in Nigeria

In Nigeria, armed gangs have been kidnapping people in rural areas of the northwest and central parts of the country for ransom for many years. Thousands of people have died as a result of such attacks. The bandits hide in vast forested areas covering territories of several states.

One of the most high-profile cases occurred in April 2014 when militants from the terrorist group Boko Haram kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from a secondary school in the town of Chibok. Subsequently, many managed to escape from the terrorists or were freed as a result of negotiations. According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, as of 2024, 82 of the abducted girls are still listed as missing.