Around 100 schoolchildren, kidnapped from a Catholic school in Niger State last month, have been received by the state governor, Umar Bago. The children were handed over to government officials a day after their release, facilitated by the federal government.
Upon arrival, many of the released children were seen wearing football jerseys and long robes, escorted into the Niger State Government House by military vans and armored vehicles. Governor Bago welcomed them warmly and led them into a hall with local officials and the emir.
Most of the freed children are between the ages of 10 and 17, though the school also catered to younger children. The exact circumstances of their abduction from the remote Papiri village remain unclear, and dozens of the original group of 315 students and staff are still missing.
The increase in such kidnappings has cast a spotlight on Nigeria’s security challenges, as criminals increasingly resort to mass abductions for ransom.
