Nigerian authorities have announced the successful release of nearly 100 schoolchildren who had been held by armed men since their abduction from Saint Mary’s Catholic boarding school in Niger State on 21 November.
Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare confirmed the operation but did not disclose details about the circumstances of the release or the identities of the kidnappers.
The freed children are expected to be handed over to the Niger State government on Monday.
According to the Christian Association of Nigeria, last month’s attack resulted in the abduction of 303 pupils and 12 staff members, while around 50 students managed to escape during the incident.
The development brings renewed attention to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity and the recurring mass abductions of students across the country.
