300 Schoolchildren Kidnapped in Nigeria’s Kaduna State Reunited with Their Families
In a heartening development, the governor of Nigeria’s Kaduna state, Uba Sani, announced on March 26 that all 300 schoolchildren abducted earlier this month have been safely released. The students were kidnapped by armed bandits from the LEA Primary and Secondary School in Kuriga village, located within Kaduna’s Chikun district.
Sani expressed his gratitude to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support in ensuring the safe return of the children. He further acknowledged the efforts of the country’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who coordinated the operations of security agencies that led to this successful outcome.
The children were abducted on March 7 when armed gunmen stormed their school on motorcycles. Although some students managed to escape, approximately 287 children remained captive with the kidnappers. According to a local community member, these criminals had set a ransom of 1 billion naira ($620,000) and threatened to take the lives of all students if their demands were not met.
Despite these threats, Kaduna state’s security forces worked tirelessly and courageously to secure the children’s release. The Nigerian Army deserves special recognition for their role in restoring security within the community.
Kidnappings for ransom have long plagued Kaduna state, which borders Nigeria’s capital city Abuja to the southwest. The region has endured numerous mass abductions in recent years, making this successful operation all the more noteworthy.
This evolving story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Previously reported by Nimi Princewill in Abuja and Mariya Knight.
