Mass Abduction Resolved as Nigerian Schoolgirls Freed
A total of 24 schoolgirls abducted from a school in Kebbi state, north-western Nigeria last week have been rescued, according to President Bola Tinubu. The girls were taken by assailants on November 17th from the Government Girls Comprehensive secondary school in Maga town, but one managed to escape the same day.
The remaining 23 girls are now safe, with their current condition not specified. In a statement announcing the rescue, the president vowed that more troops will be deployed to vulnerable areas to prevent similar incidents. The attack is part of a series of mass abductions in Nigeria, including a recent raid on St Mary's school in Niger state where over 300 students and staff were taken.
The principal of the primary Muslim school in Kebbi reported that all the abducted girls had been released but are currently under authority custody. Authorities say they will keep the girls' wellbeing updates to themselves for now, leaving parents like AbdulKarim Abdullahi waiting anxiously for news about his 12 and 13-year-old daughters.
Meanwhile, the governor of Kwara state announced that 38 worshippers kidnapped from a church in central Nigeria during a deadly attack have regained their freedom. Gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic church in Eruku on November 18th, killing two people and taking others hostage. Authorities say gangs of bandits are responsible for recent abductions.
Analysts attribute these kidnappings to gangs targeting schools, travelers, and remote villagers in search of ransom as a means of asserting control over areas with little government presence. The gangs are mostly former herders who have turned against farming communities due to resource clashes.
School kidnappings have become synonymous with insecurity in Nigeria, where armed gangs target schools for strategic gain, drawing attention to their cause. Since the Chibok schoolgirls' infamous abduction nearly a decade ago, at least 1,500 students have been seized, many of whom were released after ransoms were paid.
The rescues come as US President Donald Trump has claimed that Christians are facing persecution in Nigeria, though attacks affect both Christian and Muslim communities. Arrests are rare in these hotspots, with ransom payments being the norm for resolving such crises.
A total of 24 schoolgirls abducted from a school in Kebbi state, north-western Nigeria last week have been rescued, according to President Bola Tinubu. The girls were taken by assailants on November 17th from the Government Girls Comprehensive secondary school in Maga town, but one managed to escape the same day.
The remaining 23 girls are now safe, with their current condition not specified. In a statement announcing the rescue, the president vowed that more troops will be deployed to vulnerable areas to prevent similar incidents. The attack is part of a series of mass abductions in Nigeria, including a recent raid on St Mary's school in Niger state where over 300 students and staff were taken.
The principal of the primary Muslim school in Kebbi reported that all the abducted girls had been released but are currently under authority custody. Authorities say they will keep the girls' wellbeing updates to themselves for now, leaving parents like AbdulKarim Abdullahi waiting anxiously for news about his 12 and 13-year-old daughters.
Meanwhile, the governor of Kwara state announced that 38 worshippers kidnapped from a church in central Nigeria during a deadly attack have regained their freedom. Gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic church in Eruku on November 18th, killing two people and taking others hostage. Authorities say gangs of bandits are responsible for recent abductions.
Analysts attribute these kidnappings to gangs targeting schools, travelers, and remote villagers in search of ransom as a means of asserting control over areas with little government presence. The gangs are mostly former herders who have turned against farming communities due to resource clashes.
School kidnappings have become synonymous with insecurity in Nigeria, where armed gangs target schools for strategic gain, drawing attention to their cause. Since the Chibok schoolgirls' infamous abduction nearly a decade ago, at least 1,500 students have been seized, many of whom were released after ransoms were paid.
The rescues come as US President Donald Trump has claimed that Christians are facing persecution in Nigeria, though attacks affect both Christian and Muslim communities. Arrests are rare in these hotspots, with ransom payments being the norm for resolving such crises.
...it's like every 2 days somethin bad is happenin there 
. i mean can't we just keep our kids safe? why do these gangs have to take it out on innocent girls? 
they're just tryna live their lives, go to school, learn stuff...this is wicked.
. we need real solutions, like makin sure our schools are safe, and makin sure these gangs get the help they need. 
. It's just so heartbreaking to see these young girls going through this trauma. The fact that 38 people were kidnapped from a church too, it's like they're targeting innocent civilians left and right 
. I wish there was a way for these girls to receive proper support and counseling after going through all this 
. We need to think about the long-term effects on their mental health and well-being too 
.
.
. 24 girls were taken from their school last week, but one managed to escape, and now all 23 are safe... it's just not right 
my heart just dropped, another wave of schoolgirls abductions in Nigeria... it's like they're playing a deadly game of chance, leaving innocent kids to face the world without a care 
. The thought of those 23 girls still trapped is unbearable, I hope they get rescued soon 
.
and the government promised more troops will be sent to stop these gang attacks on schools. It's crazy how these gangs are making millions off ransom payments, it's just not right... 
. I mean, think about it, they're probably using them as bargaining chips for something bigger. And what's with the whole "gangs of former herders" thing? It sounds like a cover-up to me 
. Those guys are just trying to shift the blame away from who's really pulling the strings here 
.
. Like, come on, that's just a distraction from what's really going on here. The real question is, what's happening behind the scenes? Who's masterminding these kidnappings and why? 
), but you have to admit, it all adds up to something fishy 
.
. As a parent, it's unbearable to think about my own kids being in such a situation 
.
Like, what about the 38 worshippers who were kidnapped in Kwara state? Why did no one hear about that until now? 
? and now 24 of them are safe? that's a good start, but I'm sure the parents of those other girls who were taken will be waiting for ages to find out what happened to them 
