All students taken during a mass abduction at a secondary school in northwestern Nigeria last week have now been recovered, authorities confirmed. The announcement brings relief to a community gripped by a recent surge in such incidents across the country.
The abduction occurred on November 17 at a government-run girls’ school in Kebbi State. While initial reports indicated 25 students were taken, one managed to escape shortly after the incident. A subsequent presidential statement confirmed the safe recovery of the remaining 24 individuals, though specific operational details of the rescue were not disclosed.
In the statement, the nation’s leader emphasized the urgent need to bolster security deployments in vulnerable regions to prevent further kidnappings.
The principal of the affected school confirmed the students’ release, noting they were currently in official custody pending further procedures. A parent of two abducted children expressed profound relief upon hearing the news, stating the ordeal had been extremely difficult for his family. He added that he was awaiting official communication regarding their condition and looked forward to being reunited with his daughters.
This event is part of a wider pattern of mass kidnappings targeting schools, places of worship, and remote communities. Just days prior, over 300 students and staff were abducted from a school in a neighboring state, with dozens managing to escape. Separately, authorities in another region announced the release of 38 worshippers kidnapped during a deadly attack on a church.
While no group has claimed responsibility for these specific abductions, analysts note that armed gangs, often operating in areas with limited state security, frequently carry out such kidnappings for ransom. These groups are reported to consist largely of individuals from pastoralist communities who have turned to violence amid longstanding conflicts with farming settlements over land and resources.
The targeting of educational institutions has become a grim hallmark of the security challenges facing the nation. Since a notorious mass abduction over ten years ago, thousands of students have been seized, with many only released following ransom payments. Arrests in connection with these crimes remain uncommon in the affected northern regions.