100 Kidnapped Niger Pupils Received by Governor After Release

About 100 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic boarding school in Niger State last month were formally received by Governor Umar Bago on Monday, a day after authorities secured their release.

The pupils, many wearing football jerseys and others dressed in long robes, arrived at the Niger State Government House in Minna aboard white buses flanked by military vans and armoured vehicles.

It was said that they were handed over to state officials before being ushered into a hall where the emir and senior government figures awaited them.

The federal government facilitated the release of the children with most of them between 10 and 17 years on Sunday as the school also caters to nursery-age children.

Recall that a total of 315 students and staff were seized during the attack on the remote Catholic school in Papiri village, north-central Niger State, and around 50 managed to escape in the hours following the raid, while dozens had remained unaccounted for.

“Welcome,” Governor Bago told the returning pupils, shaking hands with several of them before accompanying the group inside for a brief reception.

However, authorities have not confirmed who carried out the abduction or the conditions under which the 100 pupils were freed.

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