Post by : Rameen Ariff

A group of 24 Nigerian girls who were kidnapped from their boarding school over a week ago has been safely released, the Nigerian president announced. The girls were taken on November 17 from the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Kebbi State, located in the northwest of Nigeria. During the attack, armed men stormed the school, killing one staff member and abducting 25 students. Fortunately, one of the girls managed to escape soon after the incident.

The Nigerian president praised the quick action of the security forces in handling the situation, though the exact details of how the girls were freed remain unclear. A special adviser to the president confirmed that all the kidnapped girls had been accounted for. The attack also caused similar kidnappings in two other states, leading the government to increase security in vulnerable areas.

President Bola Tinubu stated that more security personnel would be deployed to prevent future kidnappings. He also announced that the Nigerian Air Force would maintain continuous surveillance over remote regions and work closely with ground forces to stop and capture hostile groups.

Kidnappings of children from schools have been a serious issue in Nigeria for years. Since 2014, when 276 girls were taken in the widely known Chibok school abduction, more than 1,500 children have been kidnapped from Nigerian schools. Just recently, at least 300 children and staff were abducted from St Mary’s School, a Catholic boarding school in Niger State. Of these, 50 have escaped, but over 250 are still missing.

Religious leaders in the region have expressed frustration, stating that the Nigerian government has not made enough effort to rescue the remaining kidnapped children. Due to the severity of these attacks, President Tinubu canceled his trip to the G20 summit to focus on addressing the crisis.

The United Nations education envoy, Gordon Brown, urged the global community to support Nigeria in ensuring the safety of schools and helping to bring the abducted children back home. Brown emphasized the importance of making schools safe places for learning, not places where children are taken for criminal purposes.

This recent release brings relief but also highlights the ongoing challenge Nigeria faces in protecting its children from kidnappings. The government’s increased security efforts aim to prevent further incidents and ensure children can study without fear.

#world news #Global News