Freedom Secured for A Hundred Abducted Nigerian Pupils, however Numerous Continue to Be Held
The country's government have secured the release of a hundred seized pupils captured by armed men from a religious school in November, as stated by a UN source and regional news outlets on Sunday. However, the fate of another 165 individuals believed to still be under the control of kidnappers remained unknown.
Background
Last month, 315 people were abducted from St Mary’s mixed boarding school in north-central Niger state, as the nation was gripped by a series of group seizures similar to the infamous 2014 Boko Haram kidnapping of schoolgirls in Chibok.
Approximately 50 managed to flee shortly afterward, leaving 265 believed to be still held.
The Release
The one hundred students are set to be handed over to state authorities on Monday, as per the UN official.
“They are going to be handed over to state authorities tomorrow,” the source told AFP.
Regional reports also stated that the liberation of 100 children had been obtained, though they lacked specifics on if it was done through negotiation or military force, and no details on the fate of the remaining hostages.
The release of the youngsters was announced to the press by an official representative an official.
Statements
“We've been praying and waiting for their return, should this be accurate then it is a cheering news,” said a spokesman, speaking for the local diocese of the Kontagora diocese which manages the school.
“However, we are not formally informed and have not received proper notification by the government.”
Broader Context
Though abductions for money are widespread in the country as a way for illegal actors to make quick cash, in a series of mass abductions in November, many people were seized, casting an critical attention on Nigeria’s deteriorating state of safety.
The country faces a long-running jihadist insurgency in the northeastern region, while marauding gangs perpetrate abductions and plunder communities in the north-west, and conflicts between farmers and herders regarding dwindling land and resources continue in the country’s centre.
Furthermore, militant factions associated with separatist movements also are active in the country’s volatile southeastern region.
Historical Precedent
Among the first large-scale abductions that garnered global concern was in 2014, when almost three hundred female students were abducted from their boarding school in the north-eastern town of Chibok by the militant group.
A decade later, the country's kidnap-for-ransom issue has “become a organized, profit-seeking business” that raised approximately $1.66 million dollars (£1.24m) between July 2024 and June 2025, stated in a recent report by a Nigerian consultancy.
