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Nigerian authorities have obtained the freedom of one hundred abducted students taken by armed men from a religious school in November, according to a UN source and regional news outlets on Sunday. However, the fate of another 165 students and staff presumed to still be held captive stayed uncertain.

Background

In November, 315 people were taken from a mixed boarding school in central a Nigerian state, as the country faced a series of large-scale kidnappings reminiscent of the infamous 2014 jihadist group abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok.

Approximately 50 escaped in the immediate aftermath, which left 265 presumed still held.

Freedom for Some

The a hundred youngsters are set to be transferred to state authorities on Monday, according to the UN official.

“They are scheduled to be released to state authorities tomorrow,” the source told a news agency.

Regional reports also reported that the release of the students had been secured, though they lacked details on whether it was achieved via dialogue or armed intervention, and no details on the whereabouts of the remaining individuals.

The release of the students was confirmed to AFP by presidential spokesman Sunday Dare.

Statements

“We've been hoping and praying for their return, should this be accurate then it is wonderful news,” said Daniel Atori, spokesman for the local diocese of the religious authority which operates the institution.

“Nevertheless, we are without official confirmation and have not received proper notification by the government.”

Security Situation

Although kidnappings for ransom are prevalent in the nation as a method for criminals and armed groups to generate revenue, in a spate of large-scale kidnappings in November, many people were abducted, putting an harsh focus on Nigeria’s serious state of safety.

The country faces a long-running Islamist militant uprising in the northeastern region, while marauding gangs perpetrate abductions and plunder communities in the north-west, and disputes between agricultural and pastoral communities over dwindling resources continue in the country’s centre.

Additionally, militant factions linked to separatist movements also operate in the nation's restive south-east.

The Chibok Shadow

One of the first mass kidnappings that garnered global concern was in 2014, when almost 300 female students were taken from their school in the northeastern town of Chibok by the militant group.

Ten years on, Nigeria’s hostage-taking issue has “consolidated into a structured, revenue-generating industry” that raised around a significant sum between July 2024 and June 2025, as per a recent report by a Lagos-based research firm.