Tearful reunions as Nigeria schoolchildren freed

Some 90 young schoolchildren in Nigeria, who had been abducted three months ago, were reunited with their families on Friday, following their release by gunmen.

Families, teachers and some residents of the town of Tegina in the state of Niger gathered outside Salihu Tanko Islamic School to reunite with their children.

Girls and boys, some as young as 5 years old, were carried in the arms of their parents as soon as they arrived at the school.

"Today is the greatest day to me, today is the greatest day. It's an honour to (for) the people of Tegina community" said Abubakar Garba Alhassan, head teacher of the school and father of one of the released students.

Gunmen on motorcycles attacked the Salihu Tanko Islamic School in Niger state in late May.

Authorities initially said that 136 students had been taken but revised that figure to 91, including one pupil who died in captivity.

The abductions stepped up pressure on the Nigerian government to do more to secure educational facilities in remote areas.

But questions remained about whether ransoms had been paid to secure the children's release, and if so whether that could fuel further abductions by the unknown armed groups referred to locally as bandits.

In Zamfara state the police confirmed that 15 other students had been handed over to officials on Friday, 11 days after they were abducted from the College of Agriculture and Animal Science in Nigeria's troubled northwest.

It was not immediately clear how they were rescued.

In Kaduna state, 32 students that were kidnapped in July from the Bethel Baptist High School in Damishi, were released  Friday night.

Still 31 others remain in captivity

More than 1,000 students have been forcibly taken from their schools in a series of school abductions this year, according to an AP tally of figures previously confirmed by the police.

Although most of those kidnapped have been released, hundreds are still held by their abductors.