By: Teddy Grant

Hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls that were abducted last week from a boarding school in Nigeria have been released, according to the Associated Press.

Bello Matawalle, governor of Zamfara, a state located in the northwestern part of the country, tweeted the celebratory news on Tuesday.

“It gladdens my heart to announce the release of the abducted students,” Matawalle wrote. “This follows the scaling of several hurdles laid against our efforts. I enjoin all well-meaning Nigerians to rejoice with us as our daughters are now safe.”

Alhamdulillah! It gladdens my heart to announce the release of the abducted students of GGSS Jangebe from captivity. This follows the scaling of several hurdles laid against our efforts. I enjoin all well-meaning Nigerians to rejoice with us as our daughters are now safe. pic.twitter.com/YKfHoUuiXP

— Dr. Bello Matawalle (@Bellomatawalle1) March 2, 2021

On Friday, gunmen stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe and kidnapped 279 girls in the middle of the night, according to the AP.

“We were sleeping at night when suddenly we started hearing gunshots,” one of the girls told the AP. “They were shooting endlessly. We got out of our beds and people said we should run, that they are thieves.”

Nigeria has been facing a wave of kidnappings of children in the last few months. In December, over 300 schoolboys were taken and then freed from their school, according to CNN.