Escape of 8 Nigerian Schoolgirls After Being Abducted by Gunmen

The Commissioner for Internal Security in Kaduna State, northern Nigeria, mentioned that eight high school students escaped from gunmen who had kidnapped them two weeks ago, as they were found by villagers who alerted security forces. Kaduna's Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, stated: "The students escaped from a forest between Kaduna and the neighboring Niger State and traveled for days before being discovered by some villagers." The students were taken to a military facility in Kaduna for medical care. Armed gangs, often active in the remote areas of northwestern Nigeria, have been carrying out violent attacks against villagers, schools, and drivers, and have kidnapped hundreds for ransom.