at the end of a long ordeal. Thirty students kidnapped in March by a heavily armed commando in northern Nigeria were released, welcomed Wednesday, May 5, the Nigerian president, criticized for his inability to stop attacks by criminal gangs practicing kidnappings. mass. “We are happy that they were released … We thank all the actors who contributed to this happy outcome”, reacted President Muhammadu Buhari in a statement.
A total of 39 students were abducted on March 11 from their university in northwestern Nigeria, in the city of Kaduna. A first group of ten students had been found by security forces in the weeks following the attack, but the last 29 students missing were held captive for nearly two months.
“The police command has informed the government of Kaduna State of the release of the last students” kidnapped on March 11, Samuel Aruwan, Minister of the Interior of Kaduna State, announced earlier. Mass kidnappings in schools are increasing in northern and central Nigeria, the work of Islamist groups or criminal gangs known locally as “bandits” seeking ransoms or having forged links with these armed groups.
730 children and adolescents kidnapped in Nigeria since December 2020
Nigerian authorities do not provide details on the circumstances of the students’ release or a possible ransom. The families of the students kidnapped in Kaduna had demonstrated in Abuja this week to demand their release. These armed bands terrorize the populations, pillaging villages, stealing livestock and carrying out mass kidnappings for ransoms.
For several months, these “bandits” have been carrying out collective kidnappings in schools and universities in rural areas, where some 730 children and adolescents have been kidnapped since December 2020. These attacks have disrupted the studies of more than 5 million children, according to Unicef. Authorities deny paying any ransom to secure the release of the 29 students, which comes days after the death of a gang leader who led the kidnapping of hundreds of students in northern Nigeria, killed during a armed clash with a rival gang.
On April 20, around 20 students were again kidnapped from a university in Kaduna State, and one academic staff member was killed in the attack. Five of the abducted students have since been executed. Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa with more than 200 million inhabitants, is in the grip of multiple conflicts, between a jihadist insurgency in the North-East, attacks by criminal gangs practicing mass kidnappings in the North-West and those of separatists who target the security forces in the South-East.

Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.