(MENAFN) Nigerian authorities confirmed that all 24 schoolgirls kidnapped from a boarding school in northwestern Nigeria have been rescued after more than a week in captivity. The girls were abducted on November 17 when gunmen attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga village, Kebbi State. Two staff members were killed during the raid. Initially, 25 students were reported kidnapped, but one managed to escape immediately.

A special adviser to President Bola Tinubu said the incident sparked copycat kidnappings in Eruku (Kwara State) and Papiri (Niger State). Tinubu expressed relief that all girls were accounted for and called for increased troop deployment to vulnerable areas to prevent further abductions. He also commended security forces for their “swift response,” though details of the girls’ release were not provided.

The rescues come amid a surge in deadly attacks and mass kidnappings in Nigeria. Last Friday, armed men seized over 300 students and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, while another recent attack targeted a church in Eruku, where all 38 kidnapped worshippers were later freed. The escalating violence has forced President Tinubu to cancel his trip to South Africa for the G20 Summit.

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