A WAVE of relief and jubilation swept through the village of Kuriga in northwest Nigeria as more than 100 students and staff, who were abducted earlier this month, returned home safely following their rescue by the army in Zamfara state.
The convoy of buses carrying the freed hostages was greeted with cheers and cries of ‘Our children are back!’ and ‘Alhamdulillah,’ meaning ‘Thank you, God,’ as the entire village turned out to welcome them home.
According to the army, a total of 137 hostages, comprising 76 females and 61 males, were rescued just days before the deadline set by the kidnappers to pay a ransom of 1 billion naira ($767,000) for their release.
Recalling their harrowing ordeal, the students described being marched through the forest for over two weeks, forced to sleep under trees, and given inadequate food and water by their captors.
‘Even the bandits were hungry,’ remarked Amina Alhassan, one of the freed students, highlighting the dire conditions they endured during captivity.
Tanko Musa, another freed student, revealed that the kidnappers had informed them of the government’s payment of the ransom, although the exact amount remained unclear. However, conflicting reports emerged, with Information Minister Mohammed Idris stating earlier that no ransom had been paid.
Despite the conflicting accounts, relieved parents expressed gratitude for the safe return of their children. Yunusa Musa, whose two children were among those kidnapped, remarked, ‘We had no hope of seeing our children again,’ as he thanked the Nigerian government for the rescue operation.
Yunusa also called for increased security measures in the town and its surroundings to enable villagers to resume farming activities, which had been disrupted by rampant insecurity in the region.
Abductions of students in Nigeria have become distressingly common, initially perpetrated by jihadist group Boko Haram and later adopted by criminal gangs seeking ransom money. These incidents have caused immense suffering for families and communities, exacerbating the already precarious security situation in northern Nigeria.
As the nation celebrates the safe return of the Kuriga hostages, questions linger about the ransom payment and the broader issue of insecurity plaguing the region.