137 school children kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria released, state governor says
CNN
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At least 137 school children who had been kidnapped by armed gunmen in Nigeria earlier this month have been launched, the governor of Nigeria’s Kaduna state Uba Sani confirmed in a TV interview aired on Sunday.
In the interview broadcast on Nigeria’s Channels Television, Sani stated he had met with the children’s households.
“I am happy, the families are happy, we are all happy the children have been rescued,” he instructed the broadcaster.
However, Sani stated {that a} trainer had died after growing “some complications” whereas in captivity, with out offering additional element.
On March 7, greater than 300 college students had been kidnapped by armed bandits on bikes who stormed the LEA Primary and Secondary School in Kuriga village, in Kaduna’s Chikun district, state police instructed CNN on the time.
Kaduna state, which borders the Nigerian capital Abuja to the southwest, has grappled with recurring incidents of kidnappings for ransom by bandits and has witnessed a number of mass abductions in latest years.
In an earlier put up on X, Sani was seen addressing dozens of children and wrote that he was “glad to see our released children in high spirits on Sunday evening.”
He wrote that they’d proceed to “undergo psychosocial counseling” and obtain “proper medical supervision.”
The gunmen beforehand demanded a ransom of 1 billion naira ($620,000) and threatened to kill the entire college students if their calls for weren’t met, in keeping with a member of the neighborhood.
Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu had coordinated the “operations of the security agencies, which eventually resulted in this successful outcome,” Sani stated.
“The Nigerian Army also deserves special commendation for showing that with courage, determination and commitment, criminal elements can be degraded and security restored in our communities,” Sani stated.
He additionally thanked Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu for “working round the clock” to make sure the children’s secure return.
With earlier reporting from CNN’s Nimi Princewill in Abuja and Mariya Knight.
