Some children taken in attack on school in Nigeria released
KADUNA, Nigeria — At least 137 of nearly 300 Nigerian children abducted more than two weeks ago from their school in the northwestern state of Kaduna were released Sunday, the West African nation’s military said.
An earlier statement from the government suggested that all the students were freed.
Motorcycle-riding gunmen invaded the Kuriga school on March 7 and marched the children into the forests before security forces could arrive, as terrified families watched helplessly. School authorities said 287 students were kidnapped during the attack; at least 100 of them are 12 or younger.
At least 1,400 students have been kidnapped from Nigerian schools since 2014, when Boko Haram militants seized hundreds of schoolgirls from Borno state’s Chibok village. In recent years, abductions have been concentrated in the northwestern and central regions, where dozens of armed groups often target villagers and travelers for ransom.
The 137 children were rescued in Zamfara state, an enclave more than 124 miles away from their school, Nigerian military spokesman Maj. Gen. Edward Buba said in a statement.
Pictures released by the Nigerian military showed the children looking worn out as they were covered in dust, still wearing their blue-white-and-brown uniforms.
At least 17 schoolchildren in northern Sokoto state were rescued two weeks after they were taken hostage, according to a statement issued Saturday by the Sokoto state government.
Kaduna state Gov. Uba Sani, who first announced the rescue, did not give details about the operation. His office could not be reached Sunday to clarify the discrepancy in the number of those freed. The Associated Press could not reach villagers in Kuriga town, where a mobile network is not available.
Under growing pressure to end the mass kidnappings in northern Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu promised that his administration is “deploying detailed strategies to ensure that our schools remain safe sanctuaries of learning, not lairs for wanton abductions.”
Tinubu had vowed to rescue the children “without paying a dime” as ransom. But ransoms are commonly paid for kidnappings, often arranged by families, and it is rare for officials in Nigeria to admit to the payments.
No group has claimed responsibility for the Kaduna kidnapping, which locals have blamed on bandit groups — most are former herders in conflict with settled communities — known for mass killings and kidnappings for ransom in the conflict-battered northern region.
Biden, Trump win in La.:
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump won Louisiana’s primary on Saturday, collecting more delegates after they already clinched their party nominations.
Biden also appeared in Missouri’s Democratic primary, with results not expected to be reported until next week.
None of the races were in suspense, but the primary races are closely watched by insiders for turnout and signs of protest voters.
For Biden, some liberals are registering their anger with Israel’s war against Hamas. A protest movement launched by Arab American communities in Michigan has spread to other states.
Trump has locked up a third straight Republican nomination. But he faces dissent from people worried about the immense legal jeopardy he faces or critical of his White House term, which ended shortly after the Jan. 6 insurrection mounted by his supporters and fueled by his false theories of election fraud.
Fatal weather in Brazil:
Heavy rains in Brazil since Friday night have killed at least 23 people between the southeastern states of Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo.
The state government in Espirito Santos said Sunday that 15 people died and almost 5,000 are out of their homes. Rio authorities reported eight deaths Saturday.
Rescue teams in both states had to stop their work Friday night because of risks of new landslides, with efforts restarting Saturday afternoon.
Mayors and governors of Brazil’s Southeast region had warned residents of potential problems since Thursday.
No homily from pope:
Pope Francis decided at the last minute to skip his homily during Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, avoiding a strenuous speech at the start of a busy Holy Week that will test his increasingly frail health.
Hobbled by bad knees and persistent respiratory problems, Francis also didn’t participate in the procession of cardinals around the obelisk in the piazza at the start of Mass. Instead, the 87-yearold pontiff blessed the palm fronds and olive branches carried by the faithful from the altar.
Francis had been expected to deliver a homily, and a prepared text had been distributed to journalists. But when an aide gave Francis his glasses to begin reading, the pope made clear that he wouldn’t deliver the remarks, leaving the crowd waiting in silence.
Vatican officials didn’t immediately explain why. The Vatican news office later said the homily was replaced by “a moment of silence and prayer.”
Vatican officials estimated that 60,000 people attended the Mass, held under a sunny, breezy spring sky. Francis spent several minutes greeting them from the popemobile, making several loops around the piazza at the end of the service.
The Holy Week schedule is challenging for popes even under the best of circumstances. But that is especially true this year for Francis, who has been battling on and off all winter what he and the Vatican have described as a case of the flu, bronchitis or a cold. For the past several weeks he has occasionally asked an aide to read aloud his speeches and catechism lessons.
Value of currency drops:
Iran’s currency fell to a record low Sunday, plunging to 613,500 to the dollar, as its people celebrated the Persian New Year.
People were trying to exchange rials for foreign currency at Tehran’s main hub of exchange shops in Ferdowsi Street, but most were closed because of the Nowruz holidays, which run from March 20 to April 2.
The two-week holiday is an opportunity to travel abroad, driving demand for U.S. dollars and euros.
The exchange rate strongly affects other markets, including housing and rentals. The price was 590,000 to the dollar on March 18, the last workday before the holiday.
Many Iranians have seen their life savings evaporate as the local currency has depreciated. Today, it’s worth about one-twentieth as much as it was in 2015, when Iran signed a nuclear accord with world powers.
The government’s Statistics Center put the country’s inflation rate for Feb. 2024 at 42.5%, while Central Bank said it was more than 46%. There is no explanation for the discrepancy.