More than 300 schoolchildren have safely walked free, according to Nigerian officials, roughly a week after their mass abduction in the northern state of Katsina. The region’s governor, Aminu Bello Masari, announced the release of the boys — 344 in all — in a statement Thursday, saying they would receive medical attention before reuniting with their families.
“This is a huge relief to the entire country & international community,” Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said in his own remarks. “The entire country is grateful to Governor Masari, the Intelligence Agencies, the Military and the Police Force.”
The pair of announcements mark a happy ending to what has been another deeply fraught week in Nigeria. The boys were kidnapped last Friday from the Government Science Secondary School in the city of Kankara, in a brazen attack claimed by Boko Haram.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
