MAIDUGURI, Nigeria: Twenty-four schoolgirls abducted from a government boarding school in northwestern Nigeria last week have been released, a spokesperson for the Kebbi state governor confirmed on Tuesday.
The students were taken on November 17 after armed men stormed the school compound shortly after military personnel had departed. The assault has prompted what officials describe as “copycat kidnappings” across Kwara and Niger states.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu welcomed the development, urging security forces to intensify rescue operations for others still held by armed gangs.
“I am relieved that all 24 girls have been accounted for,” Tinubu said. “We must urgently deploy more security to vulnerable areas to prevent further kidnappings. My administration will provide all necessary support to achieve this.”
Mass school abductions have become a recurring security challenge in northern Nigeria, where armed groups frequently target educational institutions and rural communities for ransom.
—Ahmed Kingimi
