Nigeria: wave of student kidnappings hits the whole country

Nigeria: demonstration of relatives and parents of kidnapped students.

AFP - KOLA SULAIMON

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

In Nigeria, kidnappings are on the rise.

Several universities are now taking measures to try to ensure the safety of their students, reducing class hours or closing dormitories.

While around thirty students were released on Wednesday, May 5, in Kaduna state, others are still captive.

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With our correspondent in Lagos, 

Liza Fabbian

After two months of detention, the twenty-seven students kidnapped in Afaka on March 11, 2021 finally reunited with their families on Friday.

Their release was announced Wednesday, May 5 by the authorities of Kaduna State.

Ten other of their comrades had already been released, following the payment of ransoms by their families.

Families are worried

But other young people are still being held hostage in Kaduna State: sixteen students from Greenfield University kidnapped on April 20 are still captive.

The concern of their families is deep, while five of their comrades have already been shot by their jailers.

However, the local governor wants to be inflexible in the face of the demands of the armed groups - Nasir El Rufai strictly applies a policy of " 

no negotiation, no ransom 

" - no negotiation, no ransom and advocates the strong method against the kidnappers. 

In the south of the country too

This wave of kidnappings is not limited only to northwestern Nigeria.

At the end of the week, it was students from the University of Abia, this time located in the south of the country, who were captured in the attack on a bus.

According to the authorities, only one is still detained with other passengers, the others having managed to escape. 

See also: Nigeria: death of the gang leader who led the kidnapping of 344 boys from a boarding school

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  • Nigeria

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