December 23, 2025, 08:42December 23, 2025, 08:42
In Nigeria, armed militants kidnapped 28 people who were on their way to a Muslim celebration.
Heavily armed criminal gangs have been attacking and kidnapping people for years. (symbol image)Image: keystone
The victims, including women and children, were abducted on Sunday in Plateau state, Nigeria, on their way to a meeting to mark the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Mohammed, an official report said. For years, heavily armed criminal gangs have repeatedly attacked rural areas in northwest and central Nigeria to kidnap people and extort ransom. Thousands of people were killed. The gangs have their camps in a huge forest area that stretches across several states.
130 students were previously freed
On Sunday, the Nigerian presidential office announced the release of 130 students kidnapped from a Catholic boarding school in November. Nigeria is rocked by numerous conflicts between different ethnic and population groups, to which Christians and Muslims alike fall victim.
Some of the freed schoolgirls on their return.Image: keystone
Africa’s most populous country is divided into a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south. The Nigerian authorities reject allegations that Christians in the country are being persecuted. At the beginning of November, the US government threatened Nigeria with US military action because of the alleged targeted killing of Christians. US President Donald Trump claimed that Christians face an “existential threat” in Nigeria. (sda/afp)
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