The 100 schoolchildren rescued from abduction at St Mary Catholic School, Papiri in Agwara, Niger State, have shared chilling details of their captors’ brutality, saying they were kept near a river and threatened with death if they made noise.

According to reports from Naija News, the children were released on Sunday evening in a handover coordinated by the office of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

The rescue operation, involving the military and the Department of State Services (DSS), also followed the earlier escape of some 50 pupils.

According to Leadership, one rescued girl, identified as Florence Michael, recounted, “We were taken down into the forest and bushes before they camped us near a river, and we were made to sleep on a trampoline. They said if we made noise, we would be beaten and killed; they said if we were not calm, we would not go back home.”

A boy who gave his name as Emmanuel added, “We were threatened with guns not to cry or wail; they were with big guns, and we were in fear throughout.”

For parents, the relief is mixed with trauma. One mother, Mrs Elizabeth Samuel, said she was grateful for her daughter’s rescue, but still shudders at the thought of her child being at the mercy of armed men.

“We thank all those who helped us with their rescue. We thank those who stood for us and prayed for us,” she said.

The rescued children were handed over by the ONSA, represented by Wing Commander Abdullahi Idi Hong, to the Governor of Niger State, Umaru Bago.