• Nigerian authorities have released 130 schoolchildren abducted from a Catholic school.
• Over 300 students and staff were kidnapped in November from St. Mary’s boarding school.
• The release follows a pattern of mass abductions causing concern in Nigeria.

Nigerian authorities have successfully secured the release of 130 schoolchildren kidnapped from a Catholic school in November. Presidential spokesman Sunday Dare confirmed the news, stating, “Another 130 abducted Niger State pupils released, none left in captivity.” This follows the earlier release of approximately 100 students earlier this month, highlighting the ongoing crisis surrounding school abductions in the country, according to SCMP, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and Le Monde.

The mass kidnapping occurred on November 21, when gunmen stormed St Mary’s co-educational boarding school in the rural hamlet of Papiri, resulting in the abduction of over 300 students and staff. Initial reports from the Christian Association of Nigeria had indicated that 315 individuals were unaccounted for after the attack. However, some 50 students managed to escape shortly after their kidnapping, according to multiple sources including Reuters and Le Monde.

The ongoing situation underscores Nigeria's struggle with mass abductions, which have become increasingly common, especially following high-profile incidents like the 2014 Chibok kidnapping by Boko Haram. Analysts suggest that the propensity for such kidnappings is often linked to the plausibility of receiving ransom payments, despite official disapproval of such practices. This assertion is echoed by various reports which highlight the nature of these abductions as a lucrative criminal enterprise, according to Al Jazeera and Le Monde.