Nigerian Army Successfully Rescues Abducted Kaduna Students
The Nigerian army successfully rescued students and staff abducted earlier this month by gunmen from a school located in the northern region of the country, the military confirmed. The operation took place just days before the deadline set for a ransom payment.
Initially, school officials and residents reported that 287 students were taken on March 7 from the town of Kuriga in Kaduna state. However, a military spokesperson clarified that 137 hostages, comprising 76 females and 61 males, were rescued in the early hours of Sunday in the neighboring state of Zamfara.
Major General Edward Buba stated, “In the early hours of 24 March 2024, the military working with local authorities and government agencies across the country in a coordinated search and rescue operation rescued the hostages.”
According to a security source, the students were liberated in a forest and are currently being escorted to Kaduna’s capital for medical assessments before reuniting with their families. Despite Governor Uba Sani initially estimating the number of kidnapped individuals at over 200, discrepancies in reported numbers make it unclear if any hostages remain in captivity. Some Kuriga elders claimed that Sani informed them all hostages had been freed.
Jibrin Aminu, spokesperson for the Kuriga parents, mentioned plans to clarify the numbers on Monday, once families had the opportunity to “take account of their kidnapped children.” The rescue operation was executed just before the deadline set for a 1 billion naira ($690,000) ransom payment for their release.
While abductions at Nigerian schools were initially associated with the jihadist group Boko Haram, which infamously seized 276 students from a girls’ school in Chibok a decade ago, the tactic has since been adopted by criminal gangs without ideological affiliation. Some of the Chibok girls remain missing, underscoring the enduring impact of such incidents on communities and families.
