Nigerian Army Successfully Rescues 17 Students Kidnapped

KANO, Nigeria, March 23 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s army successfully rescued 17 students and a woman who were abducted in a dawn raid by armed men two weeks ago in northwest Sokoto state, as announced by the state governor on Saturday. This operation comes in the wake of heightened concern over the security situation in the region, following the recent mass abduction of schoolchildren in Kaduna, also in northern Nigeria, who remain missing.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto disclosed that the students from Tsangaya school were liberated on Friday through a coordinated operation involving the army and the office of the National Security Adviser. “All the children have been found healthy and are ready to be reunited with their parents,” stated Governor Sokoto in a released statement, although he refrained from providing specific details regarding the rescue mission.

Liman Abubakar Bakuso, the owner of the school, expressed relief at the news and indicated his plans to travel to Sokoto capital to bring back the rescued students. Notably, Bakuso emphasized that no ransom was paid for their release, as neither he nor the parents of the abducted children were contacted regarding any ransom demands.

The incident underscores the alarming prevalence of kidnappings carried out by criminal gangs in northern Nigeria, which occur almost daily and inflict immense suffering on families and communities. Desperate to secure the release of their loved ones, families often resort to pooling their savings, selling off assets such as land, cattle, and grain to meet the exorbitant ransom demands imposed by the kidnappers.