Nigeria: Rescued teacher reunites with family as last captives are freed

In the courtyard of his family home in Azakabosso, Emmanuel Ibrahim is welcomed by family members after spending a month being held hostage by kidnappers.

Ibrahim, 29, is a social studies teacher at St. Mary’s School in Papiri.

He is one of several hundred students and teachers who were abducted from the school, in Nigeria’s Niger State, in an early morning attack in November.

He described harrowing conditions with kidnappers, who he referred to as “terrorists”, and he said there were “more women and children than men” in the camp where the hostages were staying in the bush.

“The children, many of them are in a very bad condition. There’s one of these child(ren), that lost his life over there due to the weather and even the feeding, they are not feeding (them) well. So one fateful day like that, we just woke up and discovered that the child was no longer alive.”

But Ibrahim smiled when he spoke about being home in time for Christmas.

“Actually I’m so, so happy, because in my expectations, I was not expecting (that) I would have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas with my family,” he said.

Ibrahim is among the 130 students and teachers who were released Sunday, the last of the group that remained in captivity after 100 were released earlier this month.

Anthony Chieme spoke to The Associated Press when his son was released at that time. But he still had a daughter in captivity, who was released with the group this past weekend.

As both of his children sat beside him in front of the family home Wednesday, he said he thanked God that he now has them both back, but worried about his daughter.

“My daughter Onyishe is not the same girl that came back. The government gave her water (saline) and blood transfusion, but she is still not feeling well. But I trust God will take care of her,” he said.

School kidnappings have come to define insecurity in Africa’s most populous country.

Officials did not say whether a ransom — common in such abductions — had been paid. No group has claimed responsibility, but residents blamed armed gangs that target schools and travelers in kidnappings for ransom across Nigeria’s conflict-battered north.

Most of those seized in the attack were aged between 10 and 17, the school said.