More than 300 girls They were kidnapped last week from their boarding school in Nigeria A group of militants have been released, a local official said on Tuesday, the second time in less than a week that the country’s kidnapped schoolchildren have been brought back by gunmen.
On Friday, the girls were taken from the Government Girls’ Secondary School in the northern state of Zamfara. Nigerian officials later To Reuters The government was negotiating for their release.
“My heart is pleased to announce the release of the kidnapped students of GGSS Jangebe from captivity,” Governor of Zamfara State, Bilu Matwal, He wrote on Twitter Early Tuesday, referring to their school’s name. Mr. Metwal did not provide details about how or when they were released.
A recording published by the news site on Twitter Nigerian Daily Some girls are shown walking in front of the reporters in a straight line – formally and silently – as the cameras flash. The footage showed some of them barefoot while others were limp.
A week before the girls were kidnapped, more than 40 children and adults were kidnapped They were kidnapped from a boarding school In Niger state, becoming the latest victim of the West African nation’s slide into insecurity. They were released on Saturday. Mass abductions of girls and boys in boarding schools in northwest Nigeria are increasing in frequency in part because kidnapping has become Industry growth Amidst the country’s economic crisis. The victims are increasingly schoolchildren – not just the rich, powerful or famous.
Banditry, one of many complex conflicts in Nigeria, has occurred even in Katsina state, the birthplace of President Muhammadu Buhari, where there were more than 300 boys. Gunmen kidnapped him in December. They were also released at a later time.
The Katsina incident is reminiscent of the most notorious kidnapping in the country, 2014 276 schoolgirls were kidnapped By the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram In the northeastern state of Borno.
Last week, Mr. Buhari blamed state and local governments for the recent increase in kidnappings and urged them to improve security around schools.
The girls who were released this week from a school in the town of Gangbei were kidnapped. Mr. Matwal referred to them on Twitter as #JangebeGirls.
He wrote: “I urge all well-meaning Nigerians to rejoice with us because our daughters are now safe.”
Ruth McLean contributed reporting.
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