The last 89 Christians abducted during coordinated attacks on three churches in northern Nigeria were freed Thursday, officials and witnesses confirmed.
Escorted by security forces, the worshippers arrived by bus in Kaduna state, wearing yellow, as relief followed weeks of fear.
Governor Uba Sani said 183 people were seized during Sunday services on January 18, marking another violent chapter in Nigeria’s abduction crisis.
The kidnappings struck both Christian and Muslim communities, intensifying international concern over deepening insecurity across Africa’s most populous nation.
Sani said 83 captives returned days earlier, while 11 escaped independently, narrowing the final number of those held by criminal gangs.
A local chief, however, told AFP some worshippers had fled during the chaos, hiding in nearby villages rather than being taken.
Authorities offered no details on how the captives were released, maintaining silence around negotiations with the armed groups.
Although ransom payments are illegal in Nigeria, persistent suspicions remain that authorities quietly rely on them to secure freedom.