Nigeria secures release of 100 kidnapped children, reports say

At slightest 153 students and 12 teachers taken from a Catholic schoolhouse past period stay successful captivity.

Nigerian authorities person secured the merchandise of 100 children who were among hundreds kidnapped from a Catholic schoolhouse successful bluish Nigeria past month, officials and section media person reported.

The 100 children arrived successful Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, and are acceptable to beryllium handed implicit to section authorities officials successful Niger State connected Monday, an unnamed United Nations root told the AFP quality agency.

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“They are going to beryllium handed implicit to Niger State authorities tomorrow,” the root told the AFP quality agency.

Nigeria’s The Guardian paper reported connected Sunday that the rescued children were receiving aesculapian evaluations and would beryllium reunited with their families aft a debriefing.

Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare besides confirmed reports to the AFP that 100 children were being freed.

Armed gunmen kidnapped 303 students and 12 teachers from St Mary’s School successful the Papiri assemblage of Niger State’s Agwara territory connected November 21.

They included some antheral and pistillate students aged betwixt 10 to 18 years, according to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

Fifty of the students escaped captivity successful the days aft they were kidnapped, returning location to their families. Following the merchandise of 100 students connected Sunday, 153 students and 12 teachers are believed to stay successful captivity.

Days earlier, gunmen abducted 25 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School successful the neighbouring Kebbi State’s Maga town,170km (106 miles) away.

“We person been praying and waiting for their return. If it is true, past it is simply a cheering news,” said Daniel Atori, spokesperson for Bishop Bulus Yohanna of the Kontagora diocese, which runs the school.

“However, we are not officially alert and person not been duly notified by the national government.”

The latest abductions are the worst seen successful Nigeria since much than 270 girls from Chibok municipality were snatched from their schoolhouse successful 2014.

In total, much than 1,400 Nigerian students person been kidnapped since 2014, successful astir a twelve abstracted incidents.

The astir caller kidnappings came soon aft United States President Donald Trump said that Nigeria’s Christians are facing genocide, a assertion that has been questioned by local officials and Christian groups, who accidental that radical from antithetic faiths person been caught up successful ongoing unit successful parts of the country.

Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told Al Jazeera past period that radical of each faiths person been affected by the ongoing violence.

“We’ve continuously made our constituent wide that we admit the information that determination are killings that person taken spot successful Nigeria, but those killings were not restricted to Christians alone. Muslims are being killed. Traditional worshippers are being killed,” Ebienfa said.

“The bulk is not the Christian population.”

Trump has threatened subject involution successful Nigeria, alleging that the state is failing to support Christians from persecution. He has besides threatened to chopped assistance to Nigeria.

Nigeria, a state of much than 200 cardinal people, is divided betwixt the mostly Muslim northbound and mostly Christian south.

According to Pew Research Center estimates, Muslims marque up 56 percent of Nigeria’s population, portion Christians marque up conscionable much than 43 percent.

Armed groups person been engaged successful a struggle that has been mostly confined to the northeast of the country, which is bulk Muslim, and has dragged connected for much than 15 years.