Release Obtained for A Hundred Abducted Nigerian Students, however Numerous Remain in Captivity
Nigerian authorities have ensured the liberation of a hundred abducted pupils seized by gunmen from a religious school last month, according to a source within the UN and local media this past Sunday. However, the situation of an additional one hundred and sixty-five hostages believed to continue being held captive stayed unclear.
Background
In November, three hundred and fifteen people were abducted from St Mary’s mixed residential school in central Niger state, as the country buckled under a wave of mass abductions echoing the notorious 2014 Boko Haram abduction of schoolgirls in a town in north-east Nigeria.
Around fifty got away in the immediate aftermath, which left 265 thought to be still held.
Freedom for Some
The a hundred youngsters are due to be transferred to Niger state officials on Monday, stated by the source.
“They are going to be transferred to the government tomorrow,” the individual told a news agency.
Local media also stated that the liberation of 100 children had been secured, without offering specifics on whether it was the result of dialogue or a security operation, nor on the whereabouts of the other individuals.
The liberation of the 100 children was announced to the press by presidential spokesman an official.
Statements
“We've been praying and waiting for their release, if it is true then it is positive development,” said Daniel Atori, speaking for Bishop Bulus Yohanna of the Kontagora diocese which manages the school.
“However, we are without official confirmation and have not received proper notification by the national authorities.”
Broader Context
Although hostage-taking for cash are widespread in the nation as a means for criminals and armed groups to generate revenue, in a series of large-scale kidnappings in last month, scores of individuals were abducted, casting an critical spotlight on the country's serious law and order crisis.
The country faces a long-running Islamist militant uprising in the north-east, while marauding gangs conduct abductions and raid villages in the northwestern region, and conflicts between farmers and herders concerning diminishing farmland occur in the country’s centre.
Additionally, armed groups linked to secessionist agendas also are active in the country’s unsettled southeastern region.
The Chibok Shadow
One of the earliest mass kidnappings that drew global concern was in 2014, when almost three hundred girls were snatched from their boarding school in the north-eastern town of Chibok by the militant group.
Ten years on, the country's hostage-taking issue has “evolved into a structured, profit-seeking business” that generated approximately a significant sum between last year, as per a study by a Lagos-based research firm.
