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Kidnappers in Nigeria’s Northeastern Borno state released 12 young women and girls on Saturday following their abduction on November 22, Nigerian state officials said.

Their release marks the first such event amid a recent surge in kidnappings across the country over the past two weeks. A local community head, Abubakar Mazhinyi, confirmed that “all 12 abductees have been released and will be returned to their families.”

The Nigerian military said that the “Rescued girls and women had been evacuated to a secure military facility where they were receiving medical attention, along with psychological support and debriefing. Upon completion of these processes, they will be handed over to their families on Sunday.”

Officials last Saturday confirmed that at least 13 women and girls aged 16 to 23 were kidnapped near farms close to an area that has become a hotbed of bandit activity. Nigeria is struggling to control a rise in bandit- and militant-related activities across the country, with Borno state at the centre of the armed conflict with Boko Haram, which started more than 16 years ago.

 

Also Read: 303 students kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria

Boko Haram remains the largest militant group in Nigeria, while its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), continues to pose a threat to one of Africa’s most populous nations. A week ago, the armed bandits kidnapped 303 schoolchildren in Nigeria, while in a separate attack, the bandits also kidnapped 25 schoolchildren along with their teachers and also shot the principal of a higher secondary school.

Some of the children had managed to flee the kidnappers, while more than 265 children and teachers are still in captivity. On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu declared a national security emergency, ordering mass recruitment of police and army personnel. "There will be no more hiding places for agents of evil," Tinubu said in a televised address as the Nigerian forces continue the search for the missing children.

 

Also Read: 50 children escape bandit custody in Nigeria