Some gunmen had abducted over 100 students and eight teachers from the school.
No fewer than 11 students out of those abducted alongside their teachers from the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State, on June 17, 2021, are yet to regain their freedom from the hands of their abductors.
Rahma Abdullahi, Aliya Abubakar, Faridah Ka’oje, Fahiza Ahmad, Neempere Daniel, Safiya Idris, Rebecca James, Esther Sunday, Elizabeth Ogechi Nwafor, Hafsah Murital and Bilhah Musa are said to still be in the kidnappers’ den.
This was disclosed by a lecturer at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Mansur Isah Buhari, who shared the names of the students on Facebook.
He said, “While we debate about our political party's victory, let's remember that these 11 innocent FGGC BIRNIN YAURI SCHOOLGIRLS have been in captivity for 17 months now! Let's place ourselves in the shoes of their parents. The least we can do is to make a voice for them and all other people in captivity. 11 is just a number; they have faces, they have names and their mothers miss them! #YauriElevenv #yauri11 #EndBanditry.”
Some gunmen had abducted over 100 students and eight teachers from the school.
However, some of the students escaped from the gunmen during the abduction while others were rescued by security operatives.
On October 21, 2021, the bandits released 30 of the abducted students.
SaharaReporters reported that Emeka Nwajiuba, then minister of State for Education, in January 2022, said 14 of the abducted students were still with the kidnappers.
He said all hands should be on deck to secure the release of the remaining 14 students.
“My heart and soul are with all Nigerian children who are still in captivity. I stand with the parents in the circumstance. The government will continue to do all it can to free our children who are being held for what they know nothing about,” he said.
He said no nation could make meaningful progress with a high number of its youth as illiterates.
According to the minister, the high number of out-of-school children was inimical to the growth and development of any nation.
Nwajiuba maintained that the Federal Ministry of Education was determined to ensure that all children of school age, who are out of school, are returned and retained to complete their basic and secondary education and possibly transit to tertiary institutions.