Nigeria’s government has secured the release of 100 schoolchildren who were abducted from a Catholic boarding school last month, according to local media.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said 303 children were kidnapped from St Mary’s School in Agwara, Niger state, on 21 November. Twelve teachers were also abducted.
At least 50 of the children escaped in the two days after the abduction, but until now, there had been no updates on the whereabouts of the other children – some as young as six – and the missing staff.
Local broadcaster Channels Television did not immediately provide details about the release, while CAN and Niger state authorities said they were not officially notified of the children being freed.
Daniel Atori, a CAN spokesperson, said: “We are not officially aware and have not been duly notified by the federal government. We hope and pray it’s true and will be looking forward to when the remaining will be released.”
The Nigerian government has not commented.
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The attack was one of Nigeria’s worst mass kidnappings to date. It came days after 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a boarding school in the neighbouring Kebbi state.
At least 1,500 students have been abducted in the country since Boko Haram extremists seized 276 Chibok schoolgirls more than a decade ago.
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Nigeria’s security situation has faced fresh scrutiny since Donald Trump threatened military action in the West African country over the treatment of Christians.
The Nigerian government has said the US president’s claim that Christians face persecution there are a misrepresentation of the country’s complex security challenges.
