Fifty pupils earlier abducted by armed men in Niger State have successfully escaped from captivity and reunited with their families, according to emerging reports on Monday evening.
Local sources said the pupils, who were kidnapped during an attack on their school in one of the state’s vulnerable communities, managed to flee after their captors reportedly abandoned a section of the group while evading security pressure. The children were later found by vigilante operatives who quickly moved them to safety.
Emotions ran high as families trooped to the designated reunion point to identify and reclaim their children. Witnesses described scenes of tears, relief, and gratitude as parents embraced the pupils who had spent days in the bush under harsh conditions.
Although state authorities are expected to issue an official statement, security operatives have intensified search-and-rescue operations to locate other victims still unaccounted for and to apprehend members of the gang responsible for the abduction.
The latest development comes amid renewed public pressure on governments at all levels to urgently strengthen security around schools across the North, where a series of mass abductions has disrupted academic activities and heightened fear among residents.
