By Abraham Achirga and Ahmed Kingimi
MINNA, Nigeria, Dec 9 – A group of 100 Nigerian schoolchildren who were rescued from kidnappers were set to be reunited with their families on Tuesday after undergoing medical checks in central Niger state, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said.
The students are among more than 300 pupils and 12 staff seized by gunmen from St Mary’s boarding school in the early hours of November 21, in one of the country’s worst mass kidnappings in over a decade.
“We are currently in transit from Minna to Papiri with the 100 students. By now I believe their parents are waiting at the school to receive us,” said Daniel Atori, the CAN spokesperson in Niger.
Papiri is a hamlet in Niger, a 7-hour drive from Minna, the capital of Niger.
Dauda Gwanja, a parent, said he got a call to go to the school to receive his 15-year-old son.
“We look forward to reuniting with our son and praying that this never happens again,” he said.
Apart from those freed on Monday, 50 of the kidnapped schoolchildren managed to escape soon after they were seized, and more than 100 are still unaccounted for.
QUESTIONS REMAIN ON RESCUE OPERATION
Relief over the freeing of the students has quickly given way to questions from security experts on how the rescue operation was conducted.
President Bola Tinubu and Nigerian government officials have not given details on the rescue, and it is unclear whether the children were freed through negotiations, ransom payments or a security operation.
A senior government official, who declined to be named, said details were being withheld for security reasons and over fears this could jeopardise the release of those still in captivity.
The Nigerian government routinely denies it pays ransoms to kidnappers.
There was also confusion over the number of children still missing.
Tinubu said on Monday that 115 students remained unaccounted for but CAN maintained on Tuesday that 153 students and 12 teachers were still missing.
HANDLING CHILDREN WITH TRAUMA
The freed students underwent medical checks on Monday night, Niger state officials said.
Theresa Pamma, a UNICEF field officer from northern Kaduna state who is among those caring for the children, said the students would also speak to mental health experts.
Pamma said teachers at the school and communities where some of the students come from would undergo training on handling children with trauma.
After two weeks in captivity, “those children certainly need some help”, said Pamma.
(Reporting by Abraham Achirga in Minna and Ahmed Kingimi in MaiduguriAdditional reporting by Ben Ezeamalu in LagosWriting by MacDonald DzirutweEditing by Frances Kerry)
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