287 kidnapped students in Nigeria have been released

287 schoolchildren who were abducted on March 7 in the Nigerian state of Kaduna have been released. It is not known which gang abducted them, but locals say they are ex-herdsmen who rob for ransom.

Nigeria's Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has announced the release of 287 students who were abducted from their school in Kuriga on March 7. At least 100 of them are 12 years old or younger.

"The kidnapped schoolchildren have been released safely, " Governor Uba Sani wrote on his official account on the X social network (formerly Twitter).

In a statement, he thanked the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, for, among other things, the safe release of the abducted schoolchildren.

No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction of children in Kaduna. However, local residents are accusing the piracy gangs of seeking compensation. Many of them are former pastoralists who have been in conflict with settled communities.

Murtala Ahmad Rufai, a research professor of Osman Danfodia University and Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who negotiated with the bandits , said that the criminals work secretly in the vast forests of the region.

Mass kidnappings are common in Nigeria. The hijackers release the captives after the families of the abductees pay a ransom or after negotiations with government and security officials.

On Saturday, it was reported that at least 17 school children were rescued in Sokoto North state of the country after two weeks. The rescue operation, like the students in Kaduna, was coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, Nigeria, the statement said.

At least 1,400 students have been abducted from Nigerian schools since 2014. In recent years, kidnappings have been more frequent in the north-western and central regions of the country. In these areas, dozens of armed groups frequently attack villagers and travelers for ransom.