Twenty-four schoolgirls abducted from a government boarding school in northwestern Nigeria have been released, authorities announced on Tuesday.
The girls were freed nearly a week after armed men stormed their school in Kebbi State on November 17, shortly after a military detachment departed the premises.
The release was confirmed by the Kebbi State governor's media aide and welcomed by the presidency.
President Bola Tinubu expressed relief at the girls' safe return and urged security forces to strengthen protection in vulnerable areas.
"I am relieved that all the 24 girls have been accounted for. Now we must put, as a matter of urgency, more boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas to avert further incidents of kidnapping. My government will offer all the assistance needed to achieve this," Tinubu said in a statement.
He called for intensified efforts to secure the release of other captives still held across the region.
The Kebbi incident triggered copycat attacks in neighboring Kwara and Niger states.
In Kwara, gunmen identified by police as herders abducted 10 women and children from Isapa village on Monday night.
In north-central Niger State, more than 300 students and staff remain missing after attackers raided a Catholic school on Friday, though 50 students managed to escape.
No group has claimed responsibility for the Niger abduction, and no ransom demands have been reported four days later.
Mass kidnappings for ransom by armed gangs have become frequent in northern Nigeria, often targeting schools and rural communities where security presence is limited.