Police in Nigeria Secure Release of 100 Kidnapping Victims

Police in Nigeria Secure Release of 100 Kidnapping Victims
A flag of the Nigeria Police Force flies next to the Nigerian national flag at the Louis Edet House, headquarters of the police in Abuja, Nigeria, on Dec. 5, 2017. Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters
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LAGOS—Police and government authorities have secured the release of 100 people, including women, children, and nursing mothers, who were kidnapped from their village in northwestern Nigeria over a month ago, a local police spokesperson said.

Nigeria is battling an increase in armed robberies and kidnappings for ransom, mainly in northwestern states, where thinly deployed security forces have struggled to contain the rise of armed gangs, commonly referred to as bandits.