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Nigerian authorities person secured the merchandise of 100 kidnapped schoolchildren taken by gunmen from a Catholic schoolhouse past month, a UN root and section media said Sunday (December 7, 2025), though the destiny of different 165 students and unit thought to stay successful captivity remains unclear.
In November 315 students and unit were kidnapped from St. Mary's co-educational boarding schoolhouse successful north-central Niger state, arsenic the state buckled nether a question of wide abductions reminiscent of the infamous 2014 Boko Haram abduction of schoolgirls successful Chibok.
Some 50 escaped soon afterward, leaving 265 thought to beryllium successful captivity
The 100 children are acceptable to beryllium handed implicit to section authorities officials successful Niger authorities connected Monday (December 9), according to the United Nations source.
"They are going to beryllium handed implicit to Niger authorities authorities tomorrow," the root told AFP.
Local media besides reported that the merchandise of 100 children had been secured, without offering details connected whether it was done done dialog oregon subject force, nor connected the destiny connected the remaining students and unit thought to inactive beryllium successful the kidnappers' hands.
The freeing of the 100 children was confirmed to AFP by statesmanlike spokesperson Sunday Dare.
"We person been praying and waiting for their return, if it is existent past it is simply a cheering news," said Daniel Atori, spokesperson for Bishop Bulus Yohanna of the Kontagora diocese which runs the school.
"However, we are not officially alert and person not been duly notified by the national government."
U.S. diplomatic unit
Though kidnappings for ransom are communal successful the state arsenic a mode for criminals and equipped groups to marque speedy cash, a spate of wide abductions successful November saw hundreds taken and enactment an uncomfortable spotlight connected Nigeria's already grim information situation.
The state faces a long-running jihadist insurgency successful the northeast, portion equipped "bandit" gangs behaviour kidnappings and loot villages successful the northwest, and farmers and herders clash successful the country's centre implicit dwindling onshore and resources.
On a smaller scale, equipped groups linked to separatist movements besides haunt the country's restive southeast.
The question of kidnappings came arsenic Nigeria faced a diplomatic violative from the United States, wherever President Donald Trump has alleged that wide killings of Christians person amounted to a "genocide" and threatened to intervene militarily.
The Nigerian authorities and autarkic analysts person rejected that framing, which has agelong been utilized by the Christian close successful the United States and Europe.
One of the archetypal wide kidnappings that drew planetary attraction was successful 2014, erstwhile astir 300 girls were snatched from their boarding schoolhouse successful the northeastern municipality of Chibok by Boko Haram jihadists.
A decennary later, Nigeria's kidnap-for-ransom situation has "consolidated into a structured, profit-seeking industry" that raised immoderate $1.66 cardinal betwixt July 2024 and June 2025, according to a caller study by SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based consultancy.
