Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
After two weeks in the kidnappers’ den, 137 out of the 287 school children kidnapped in Kaduna, were early Sunday morning, rescued in Zamfara State by the military in collaboration with other security agencies.
Their rescue was announced in a statement by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen. Edward Buba.
Terrorists on March 7, 2024, stormed LEA School Kuriga in the Chikun Local Government Area in Kaduna and abducted both the students and some of their teachers.
They later demanded N1 billion as ransom for their release, setting a deadline of March 27, 2024, for the payment.
But according to the statement by the military, the victims were rescued in the early hours of Sunday by the troops with support from local authorities and government agencies.
Buba put the number of the rescued victims at 137, comprising 76 female and 61 male, adding that they would be conveyed to Kaduna where they would be handed over to the state government.
The statement read, “It would be recalled that, on March 7, 2024, troops received information that terrorists had invaded LEA School Kuriga in Chikun LG of Kaduna State During the incident, unconfirmed number of pupils were abducted. Following the incident, the military committed to leaving no stone unturned until all the hostages were rescued.
“Accordingly, in the early hours of March 24, 2024, the military, working with local authorities and government agencies across the country, in a coordinated search and rescue operation, rescued the hostages.
“The hostages are the same persons that were abducted from the school at Kuriga in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.
“The rescued hostages totalling 137 comprise of 76 females and 61 males were rescued in Zamfara State and would be conveyed and handed over to the Kaduna State Government for further action.
“These efforts demonstrate the armed forces’ resolve to find other innocent hostages and track down the terrorists that perpetrated these crimes.
“These efforts would continue until other hostages are found and the terrorists arrested, tried, and brought to justice by Nigerian law.
”Troops are employing similar efforts to track down the culprits responsible for the killings of 18 soldiers in Okuama Community in Delta State.”
