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ABUJA. — Nigerian President Bola Tinubu yesterday confirmed the release of more than 200 schoolchildren, 17 days after they were abducted from their schools by unknown gunmen in the country’s northern state of Kaduna. 

Tinubu in a statement hinted that the early yesterday release of the students, abducted from their schools in the Kuriga town of Kaduna on March 7, was coordinated through a search and rescue operation conducted by the military in collaboration with local authorities and government agencies. 

The Nigerian leader commended “all the parties to the feat for their valiant effort,” the statement said, noting that incipient urgency, meticulous attention, and tireless dedication were critical to optimal outcomes in cases of mass abductions. 

The gunmen allegedly abducted at least 287 students from the government-run primary and secondary schools in Kaduna’s Kuriga town, which is said to be one of the largest mass abductions from a Nigerian school in recent years. 

Last week, the gunmen had demanded a total of 1 billion nairas (about 690,213 US dollars) in ransom for the release of the abductees but the government rejected negotiations with the criminal gang, vowing to secure the freedom of the hostages through a unified effort among security agencies. 

While no specific armed group has claimed responsibility for this latest incident, it echoes a similar mass kidnapping that occurred about a decade ago in April 2014. Back then, more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted from their dormitories in the north-eastern state of Borno by the Boko Haram terror group. — Xinhua.