Students abducted in May by Islamic militants in Nigeria are rescued, government says
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on brandonsun.com
- Read the Brandon Sun E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
*Your next Free Press subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Students abducted in May by Islamic militants in Nigeria’s southwestern Oyo state have been rescued, the government said Friday.
Government spokesman Bayo Onanuga did not specify the total number of students rescued, but authorities said at the time of the abductions on May 15 that more than 40 people had been abducted. One of the teachers abducted alongside the students was killed shortly afterward.
Eight militants were arrested as part of the operation, while an unspecified number of the militants were killed, Onanuga said.
The abductions in a southern state had represented an escalation of the country’s security crisis because most such abductions previously had taken place in the north.
“This successful military operation has ended the siege and standoff of over 50 days and has brought relief to the entire nation and the affected families in particular,” Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said in a statement.
In the same week as the Oyo abduction, dozens of children were kidnapped in Borno, the epicenter of Nigeria’s security crisis.
Abductions at schools are common in Nigeria, where militant groups target them to put pressure on the government and extract ransoms.