30 kidnapped students regain freedom after six months in Nigeria

Lagos, Jan 10 (IANS) Thirty students and a teacher have regained freedom after being held for more than six months by gunmen who attacked their school in northwest Nigeria's Kebbi state and abducted them in June 2021, according to a state official.

Yahaya Sarki, spokesperson for the governor of Kebbi state, said in a statement that the 30 students and their teacher from the Federal Government College in Birnin Yauri area of the state arrived in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital, on Saturday following their release.

"They shall undergo medical screening and support while being re-united with their families," Xinhua news agency quoted Sarki as saying.

A group of unknown gunmen attacked the secondary school on June 17, 2021, killing at least one policeman and abducted an unspecified number of students and several teachers.

According to local media reports, scores of students had been freed in batches before the latest release.

A series of gunmen attacks recently happened in the northern part of the most populous African country, including attacks on schools and the kidnapping of students.