Nigeria Welcomes 130 Catholic Schoolchildren Released After Mass Abduction
The Nigerian government says all the schoolchildren kidnapped from a Catholic school in Niger state are now free.
As CBN News reported, at least 250 schoolchildren were seized along with 12 of their teachers when gunmen attacked the St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri community on Nov. 21. Fifty escaped in the hours that followed.
The Christian Association of Nigeria reported earlier this month that a total of 100 schoolchildren were released. The remaining 130 students and teachers appeared at a government ceremony after their release on Sunday.
Nigeria's federal government says the latest release is a "moment of triumph and relief" as "not a single pupil is left in captivity".
However, observers report that those released appeared malnourished and in a state of shock. Authorities say they're working to reunite the children with their families before Christmas.
Officials did not say whether a ransom had been paid. No group has claimed responsibility, but locals are pointing the finger at armed gangs.
The kidnapping in the Papiri community was the second mass abduction in the West African country in a week, and the second in Niger state in four years, the BBC reports.
