At least 90 of about 136 children who were kidnapped by armed men from the Salihu Tanko Islamic school in Tegina, Niger State, on May 30, have been released after a ransom of several million naira was paid.

The pupils, some as young as five, who had been held captive for 88 days, were released in three separate groups within a 24-hour period on Thursday, August 26, and Friday, August 27. Apart from the 90 schoolchildren, two other abductees were released. They were not named.

It was originally reported that six of the pupils had died in the forest where they were being held but this proved to be a lie to scare parents into paying the ransom. One five-year-old boy did die in captivity. About 17 of the children had escaped.

No one seemed to know who the kidnappers were or from which organisation they belonged. Reports referred to them as “bandits”.

Habiba Aliyu, a mother of five of the kidnapped pupils, confirmed the schoolchildren had been released.

She told RNI that she and her husband were “extremely happy” when they heard about their release.

“It is such a relief to know that they have been freed. It has been a very worrying time for us. We did not know if they would ever be freed. We did not even know for certain that they were still alive. Our happiness is immeasurable,” Aliyu said.

Principal Abubakar Garba Alhassan did not provide details about the release of the pupils but parents said they had been struggling for three months to raise the ransoms demanded by the kidnappers. “Sympathisers” had given money to help parents reach the ransom amount.

Three parents told Reuters news agency that a total of 65 million naira and six motorbikes had been paid in ransom. It was not known whether the government had contributed any money.

The children were reportedly dropped off in Birnin-Gwari Village in Kaduna State. They were taken to hospitals and healthcare facilities for check-ups, including psychological evaluation.

Aliyu said the children were still in hospital, so she had not had a chance to see them yet.

“I have no idea whether a ransom was paid or not before their release. All I know now is that my children have been released and I am grateful to Allah for making it possible for me to witness this day. I have cried often since their kidnapping and I felt depressed and sad. Now, it’s just the opposite. I am elated.”

Reuters reported in February, that the presidency said President Muhammadu Buhari had urged state governments to “review their policy of rewarding bandits with money and vehicles, warning that the policy might boomerang disastrously”.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights said in a statement after the May 30 kidnapping that it had heard that dozens of armed men riding on motorcycles entered the town and opened fire indiscriminately attacking the school.

It said it was deeply concerned about the rise in incidents of attacks on schools and the accompanying abduction and kidnapping of pupils by non-state armed groups.

The commission reiterated its view that the attack and violent abduction of the pupils constituted a serious breach of various rights and freedoms enshrined in the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, including the right to dignity, personal security, bodily integrity, freedom from torture or inhumane or degrading treatment, personal liberty, the right to education and the right to peace and security.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said it was relieved that the children had been released.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Peter Hawkins, the UNICEF representative in Nigeria, said the organisation rejoiced with the families whose children had been freed and expressed deepest condolences to the family of one child who died while held by his kidnappers.

Hawkins condemned attacks targeted at schools across Nigeria in recent months.

“Children who went in search of knowledge were abducted at their school, which is supposed to be a safe place for them,” he said. “Schools should not be a target. Children should not be a target.”

Hawkins said: “Education is a fundamental right of every child and any attack on an educational institution is a violation of that right. We reiterate our call to authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure schools are safe for all children.”

UNICEF said it would work with partners to provide mental health, psychosocial support and counselling services to both the freed pupils and their parents.