All 24 schoolgirls who were kidnapped by armed attackers from a school in Kebbi, northwestern Nigeria, have been successfully rescued, announced the country’s president on Tuesday. The abduction took place on November 17, with initial reports suggesting 25 students were taken. However, President Bola Tinubu confirmed that all 24 abducted students have now been safely recovered. Details about the rescue operation were not disclosed.
Expressing relief at the successful rescue, Tinubu emphasized the urgent need to increase security presence in vulnerable areas to prevent future kidnapping incidents. The incident in Kebbi adds to a series of mass abductions in Nigeria in recent times.
In a separate attack, a Catholic school in north-central Niger state was raided on Friday, resulting in the abduction of over 300 students and staff. Fortunately, fifty students managed to escape over the weekend, underscoring the ongoing security challenges facing educational institutions in the region.