OFFICIALS have confirmed the safe release of over 280 Nigerian pupils who were abducted earlier this month in the northwestern town of Kuriga.

Kaduna state governor Uba Sani announced the release without providing specific details, just days before the ransom deadline set by the abductors.

The children, aged between eight and fifteen, along with one teacher, were taken on March 7th.

This incident underscores the persistent threat posed by kidnappers, known as bandits, who have targeted thousands of individuals in the region in recent years.

While there had been a decline in mass child abductions over the past year, this event highlights the ongoing challenges faced by communities in the north-west.

Typically, ransom payments secure the release of those kidnapped.

This time, militants had demanded $690,000 in ransom, despite the government's firm stance against paying any such demands.

Governor Sani's statement included praise for Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, acknowledging his role in ensuring the safe release of the abducted Kuriga schoolchildren.

Additionally, he commended the Nigerian Army for their courage, determination, and commitment to degrading criminal elements and restoring security in the communities.

The mass abduction took place during the morning school assembly on March 7th. Witnesses reported that around 08:30 (07:30 GMT), dozens of gunmen on motorcycles stormed the school grounds.

They abducted 187 students from a secondary school and 125 from the local primary school, with twenty-five later returning.

Tragically, one 14-year-old pupil lost their life after being shot by the gunmen.

Most of the abductions in north-west Nigeria, including Kaduna state, are attributed to criminal gangs seeking financial gain through ransom payments.

In an effort to combat Nigeria's escalating and lucrative kidnapping industry, a contentious law was enacted in 2022, criminalizing ransom payments with a minimum jail term of 15 years. However, to date, no arrests have been made under this law.

Earlier this year, the family of a group of sisters abducted in the capital, Abuja, refuted a police statement claiming that security forces had rescued the girls. They stated that they had no alternative but to comply with the kidnappers' demands and pay the ransom.

The global community was outraged when Islamist militants abducted nearly 300 girls in Nigeria's north-eastern town of Chibok in 2014. While many of the victims have been liberated or managed to escape since then, dozens remain missing.