Release Obtained for 100 Kidnapped Nigerian Pupils, but Numerous Are Still in Captivity
The country's government have obtained the freedom of one hundred abducted students taken by armed men from a religious school the previous month, as stated by a UN source and local media on Sunday. Nevertheless, the fate of another one hundred and sixty-five individuals believed to continue being held captive was uncertain.
Background
During November, 315 individuals were abducted from St Mary’s mixed boarding school in north-central Niger state, as the nation faced a series of large-scale kidnappings echoing the well-known 2014 jihadist group abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok.
Some 50 escaped soon after, resulting in 265 presumed still held.
The Handover
The one hundred youngsters are set to be released to Niger state officials this Monday, as per the source.
“They are going to be released to state authorities tomorrow,” the official told a news agency.
Regional reports also confirmed that the liberation of the hostages had been secured, though they lacked details on whether it was done through talks or military force, or about the whereabouts of the still-missing individuals.
The release of the youngsters was confirmed to AFP by a government spokesperson Sunday Dare.
Statements
“We've been anxiously awaiting for their safe arrival, if it is true then it is wonderful development,” said a representative, representing Bishop Bulus Yohanna of the religious authority which manages the institution.
“However, we are not formally informed and have not been duly notified by the government.”
Wider Crisis
Though kidnappings for ransom are prevalent in the country as a means for illegal actors to make quick cash, in a spate of large-scale kidnappings in last month, scores of individuals were seized, casting an harsh attention on the country's deteriorating law and order crisis.
The nation confronts a years-long jihadist insurgency in the northeastern region, while marauding gangs carry out kidnappings and raid villages in the north-west, and disputes between farmers and herders concerning dwindling resources occur in the central belt.
Additionally, armed groups connected to secessionist agendas also operate in the nation's restive southeastern region.
Historical Precedent
A earliest large-scale abductions that drew international attention was in 2014, when nearly 300 girls were abducted from their school in the northeastern town of Chibok by insurgents.
A decade later, the country's hostage-taking issue has “consolidated into a organized, profit-seeking industry” that generated around a significant sum between last year, according to a study by a Lagos-based consultancy.
