At least 137 abducted students of the the LEA Primary School Kuriga and Junior Secondary School were rescued in Zamfara State by the Nigerian military, according to the Defence Headquarters.
The Nigeria Defence Headquarters conveyed this announcement in a statement signed by its Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen. Edward Buba.
According to the DHQ, the rescued students consisted of 71 females and 61 males. It confirmed that the school children and their teachers were freed at the early hours of Sunday, and they would be handed over to the government of Kaduna state.
Buba further stated that the military carried out the successful operation after working with local authoriea and government agencies.
The statement partly read, “In the early hours of Sunday, March 24, 2024, the military, the local authorities and government agencies worked together across the country, in a coordinated search and rescue mission, and we rescued the hostages.
“The rescued victims were the same persons abducted from the school in Kuriga in the Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.”
Recall that on Thursday, March 7, 2024, armed gunmen stormed the school in kuriga, a town in Chikun LGA in Kaduna State, and reportedly abducted 287 students. The bandits then demanded N1 billion from the families of the victims to release them.
But both President Bola Tinubu, and Governor Uba Sani, voved that no ransom would be paid.
And earlier today (Sunday), governor Sani announced the release of the students and thanked the President, the nation’s National Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Nigerian military for their efforts.