The Defence Headquarters announced on Sunday that troops had successfully rescued the pupils and teachers who were abducted from LEA School Kuriga in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, within the borders of Zamfara State.
On March 7, 2024, about 287 pupils and teachers of the school were abducted by suspected terrorists who took them into the forest.
Their abductors subsequently requested a ransom of N1bn for their release, setting a deadline of March 27, 2024, for the payment.
According to a statement by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, the troops rescued the victims on Sunday morning with support from local authorities and government agencies.
Buba reported that 137 victims, 76 females and 61 males, were rescued and would be transported to Kaduna for handover 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.”
He added, “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.”
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu welcomed the rescue of the school children and emphasized the need for federal and state governments to collaborate to ensure the security of lives. He also assured that strategies have been put in place to safeguard schools all over the country.
