42 people including students abducted from school in Nigeria released

At least 42 people, including students, who were kidnapped last week in an armed raid at a state-run school in Kagara in Niger state, northwest Nigeria, have been released, the vice-principal of the school, Mallam Saidu said on Saturday.

According to CNN, the group released included 27 students, teachers and family members, the state government said in a statement.

On February 17, the gunmen, wearing military fatigues according to witnesses, stormed the Government Science Secondary School Kagara. A student who died during the attack identified as Benjamin Habila.

The executive governor of Niger State, Abubakar S Bello, tweeted that those released have been received by the state government. "Breaking News: The Abducted Students, Staff and Relatives of Government Science Collage Kagara have regained their freedom and have been received by the Niger State Government," he wrote.

This comes as hundreds of schoolgirls were abducted in the early hours of Friday when armed men raided a state-run school in Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria.

"The schoolgirls were taken from their hostels by gunmen who raided the Government Girls Secondary School in the town of Jangebe," a high-ranking government official with knowledge of the incident told CNN.

( With inputs from ANI )