The 287 children abducted by gunmen in Kuriga town in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State have been freed from captivity.
The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sanni made this known in a statement from his office in the early hours of Sunday.
Sanni expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for ensuring that the school pupils were released unharmed.
His statement reads: “In the name of Allah the Beneficient, the Most Merciful, I wish to announce that our Kuriga school children have been released.
“Our special appreciation goes to our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for prioritizing the safety and security of Nigerians and particularly ensuring that the abducted Kuriga school children are released unharmed. While the school children were in captivity, I spoke with Mr. President several times. He shared our pains, comforted us and worked round the clock with us to ensure the safe return of the children.
“Special mention must also be made of our dear brother, the National Security Adviser, Mal. Nuhu Ribadu for his exemplary leadership. I spent sleepless nights with Mal. Ribadu finetuning strategies and coordinating the operations of the security agencies, which eventually resulted in this successful outcome.
“The Nigerian Army also deserves special commendation for showing that with courage, determination and commitment, criminal elements can be degraded and security restored in our communities.
“We also thank all Nigerians who prayed fervently for the safe return of the school children. This is indeed a day of joy. We give Almighty Allah all the glory.”
The terrorists had kidnapped the children and some of their teachers from the LEA Primary School and Government Secondary School, Kuriga on March 7, 2024 and subsequently demanded a sum of N1 billion ransom.
It’s not immediately clear if any ransom was paid to free the the pupils and their teachers.
