Last 130 Kidnapped Nigerian Schoolchildren Freed After Weeks in Captivity

The final group of 130 kidnapped students has been freed and handed to authorities in Nigeria. This ends a weeks-long ordeal for the children and their families. The students were among 303 children and 12 teachers abducted from St. Mary's co-educational boarding school in north-central Nigeria. Around 100 of the children were released in early December. The latest group's release means all victims from the mass kidnapping are now free. Local officials confirmed the handover to state authorities. Mass kidnappings for ransom are a persistent security crisis in northern Nigeria. Criminal gangs frequently target schools, universities, and highways.