Nigeria’s military says it has freed all 44 pupils and teachers who were abducted two months ago from schools in the southern state of Oyo, and arrested some of their captors, Report informs via BBC.
A local teachers’ union has told the BBC of its “relief” – but families say the ordeal has been harrowing and they are still waiting to be reunited with their loved ones.
The military said that several soldiers died in the rescue mission.
The freed captives are currently receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed hospital and will return home at a later date, army spokesman Danjuma Jonah Danjuma said in a statement issued on Friday evening.
A renewed wave of mass kidnappings has hit Nigeria in recent months, and insecurity remains a major issue ahead of next year’s general election.
The government says it is stepping up security around schools and vulnerable communities, but critics say it is not enough.
In this case, the victims were kidnapped by gunmen on 15 May from three schools in the district of Osiire, in Oyo state: Baptist Nursery and Primary School, LA Primary School, and Community Grammar School.
No official confirmation has been given of the victims’ ages, but children at such schools in Nigeria are typically aged between two and 18 years old.