All 279 Kidnapped Nigerian Students Released: Governor

Over 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped by bandits in Jangebe on February 27, 2021.

All 279 Nigerian students kidnapped from their boarding school in the northern state of Zamfara have been released and are on government premises, the governor of the state told AFP Tuesday.

"I am happy to announce that the girls are free," Dr. Bello Matawalle told an AFP journalist. "They have just arrived in the government house and are in good health."

An AFP reporter saw hundreds of girls wearing hijabs, gathered at the government premises.

Authorities initially said 317 girls were abducted in the raid by hundreds of gunmen on the Government Girls Secondary School in remote Jangebe village on Friday.

But Matawalle said the "total number of female students abducted" was 279.

"We thank Allah they are all now with us."

Government officials had been in talks with the kidnappers -- known as bandits -- following Nigeria's third school attack in less than three months.

A source said "repentant bandits" had been contacted to reach out to their former comrades as part of efforts to free the students.