In a heartening turn of events, the entire village of Kuriga erupted in jubilation as they welcomed back more than 100 students and staff who were abducted earlier this month in Nigeria’s northwest.
The convoy of buses carrying the rescued individuals was met with shouts of “Our children are back!” and “Alhamdulillah,” expressing gratitude to God for their safe return.
The Nigerian army announced the successful rescue operation on Sunday, revealing that 137 hostages, including 76 females and 61 males, were freed in the neighboring state of Zamfara.
The operation occurred just days before a looming deadline to pay a hefty ransom of 1 billion naira ($767,000) for their release.
The rescued students recounted harrowing experiences of being marched through the forest for over two weeks, striving to evade authorities. They endured sleeping under trees, subsisting on half-cooked rice, and drinking only filthy water.
“Even the bandits were hungry,” remarked Amina Alhassan, one of the kidnapped students, sharing her ordeal from the bus window upon arrival in Kuriga. She described using their headscarves as makeshift sanitary pads while enduring daily prayers and tears.
Tanko Musa, another freed student, disclosed that the kidnappers claimed the ransom had been paid by the government, leading to their release.
Although the exact amount remains undisclosed, Information Minister Mohammed Idris stated earlier in the week that no ransom had been paid.
However, a security source reported observing 14 black bags, presumably containing the ransom money, being delivered to an area in Zamfara where the students were held after their abduction on March 7.
The return of the abducted individuals brought immense relief to their families, who had feared the worst. “We had no hope of seeing our children again,” expressed Yunusa Musa, whose two children were among those kidnapped. He urged the Nigerian government to bolster security in the region, enabling villagers to resume farming activities abandoned due to rampant insecurity.
While abductions at Nigerian schools were initially associated with the jihadist group Boko Haram, which infamously abducted 276 students in Chibok a decade ago, recent incidents have been attributed to criminal gangs pursuing ransom payments. These kidnappings, occurring almost daily, have inflicted profound suffering on families and communities, compelling them to pool savings to secure the release of their loved ones.
Despite requests for clarification, neither Nigerian presidency spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale nor Information Minister Mohammed Idris have responded regarding whether a ransom was paid in this instance.
