All 24 schoolgirls abducted last week from a secondary school in Kebbi state, northwestern Nigeria, have been rescued, President Bola Tinubu announced. Of the 25 girls abducted on November 17, one escaped immediately, while the remaining 24 have now been freed, though authorities have not disclosed details of the rescue.
Families expressed relief over the development, with parents eagerly awaiting news of their daughters’ well-being. The incident comes amid a surge in mass abductions, including the recent kidnapping of over 300 students and staff from a Catholic school in Niger state, from which 50 escaped.
Analysts attribute these crimes to armed gangs, often called “bandits,” who exploit weak security in remote areas to kidnap for ransom.