Â鶹´«Ã½

World

    • More students freed in Nigeria, amid questions over ransom

    Some freed students of Salihu Tanko Islamic School, before a meeting with Niger state governor in Minna, Nigeria Friday, Aug 27, 2021. (AP Photo) Some freed students of Salihu Tanko Islamic School, before a meeting with Niger state governor in Minna, Nigeria Friday, Aug 27, 2021. (AP Photo)
    Share
    MINNA, Nigeria -

    Overjoyed parents welcomed home 90 young schoolchildren who had spent three months held by gunmen in northern Nigeria, though authorities confirmed Friday that one of the kidnapped children had died during the ordeal.

    Meanwhile, elsewhere police announced that a second group of 15 students taken earlier this month also were freed, raising hopes across the country's north that other child hostages could eventually be delivered.

    "The happiness can't be quantified," said Yahya Aliyu Babangida, 54, a teacher whose two children aged 7 and 17 were among those released.

    Some of the abducted pupils in Niger state were just 4 years old, he said. Several were undergoing medical treatment after their release late Thursday.

    "They are exposed to this harsh weather, no food, mosquitos everywhere," he said. "Some of them had never been outside the comfort of their homes."

    News of the children's release was celebrated across Nigeria, where more than 1,000 students have been kidnapped from schools since December. Most are eventually freed though about 200 remain missing. The abductions have stepped up pressure on the Nigerian government to do more to secure educational facilities in remote areas.

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

    Muhammad Musa Kawule, 42, acknowledged paying intermediaries in hopes of securing his 6-year-old daughter's freedom.

    "I spent a lot of money but today, I'm happy," he told The Associated Press on Friday. He did not specify how much he had paid nor whether government officials had been involved.

    Gunmen on motorcycles had attacked the Salihu Tanko Islamic School in Tegina in late May. Other preschoolers were left behind as they could not keep pace when the gunmen hurriedly moved those abducted into the forest.

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

    On Friday those freed were brought to the Niger state capital, Minna, where they underwent medical check-ups and met the governor. Video showed scores of children as young as kindergartners come out of white minibuses, the little girls wearing long blue hijabs known as chadors.

    While Nigeria has seen scores of school abductions for ransom, the Niger state kidnappings left people aghast because the children were so young. The ramifications could be long lasting as parents reconsider whether to send their children to school.

    "This has affected the morale and confidence of the people and has even made parents think twice before they send their children to school," Niger state Gov. Abubakar Sani Bello said of the children's abduction. "We will do whatever it takes to bring (the kidnappers) to justice."

    As the attacks have mounted across the north, there are also signs they are becoming more violent.

    After one kidnapping at a university in Kaduna state earlier this year, gunmen demanded ransoms equivalent to hundreds of thousands of dollars. They killed five students to compel other students' parents to raise the money and later released 14.

    Also Friday, Zamfara state police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said 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, but the students are now being looked after by Zamfara state officials and will soon be reunited with their parents, authorities said.

    ------

    Asadu reported from Lagos, Nigeria.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Debate gets testy as MPs consider confidence motion in PM Trudeau

    MPs debated the first non-confidence motion of the fall House of Commons sitting today, seeing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre push once again for a snap election. But with votes secured to keep them afloat, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals were quick to turn the discussion into a referendum on the Conservative alternative.

    A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of "extremists" and "politically motivated hackers" is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.

    We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

    Questions are being raised over the use of body cameras in stores as a way to combat crime.

    An 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in a caught-on-video incident in Mississauga earlier this month is now facing auto theft charges in Toronto.

    Canada

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • The province has announced a new plan to lower the age for mammogram self-referrals to 40 from 50 in an effort to get more Manitobans screened for breast cancer.

    • Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, season is just a few months away, but new vaccine options have already arrived for Ontario residents who may be vulnerable to the winter bug.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • The Crown's key witness in the sexual assault trial against former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard will take the stand in a northern Ontario courtroom Tuesday afternoon following the judge's instructions to the jury.

    • Canadian rapper Drake and rockers Arkells are among the top musical talent set to be toasted at the SOCAN Awards tonight.

    Business

    • Metro Vancouver grain terminal workers are now on strike, bringing tens of millions of dollars of exports to a standstill.

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    • The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reported this week that officers in the agency's Montreal Marine and Rail Services seized 78 vehicles and transferred them to police. Numbers of stolen vehicles in Quebec continue to skyrocket.

    Local Spotlight

    An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.

    Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

    Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

    A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

    Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    • A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of "extremists" and "politically motivated hackers" is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.

    • A boater was rescued on Monday evening after spending three hours in the frigid waters off Vancouver Island.

    • Since moving into Vancouver's West End last year, Todd Clarke claims to have been struck several times by delivery cyclists riding on sidewalks in the neighbourhood.

    • An 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in a caught-on-video incident in Mississauga earlier this month is now facing auto theft charges in Toronto.

    • A woman fatally struck in a collision in The Junction neighbourhood on Monday evening is being remembered as a 'wonderful and beautiful person' who was a beloved member of Toronto's jazz community.

    • Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, season is just a few months away, but new vaccine options have already arrived for Ontario residents who may be vulnerable to the winter bug.

    • Alberta's premier wants to reinforce the ability to choose whether to receive a vaccination or other medical procedures through changes to the province's Bill of Rights.

    • A Calgary man is facing child pornography charges after an investigation uncovered years of messages exchanged with an alleged felon.

    • As Canadian members of parliament debate a motion that the federal Conservatives hope triggers a snap "carbon tax election," a group of protesters remains stationed on the side of the Trans-Canada Highway – as they have for months – rallying against the federal government's price on pollution.

    • Ottawa police say two people under the age of 18 have been arrested following an incident that prompted a lockdown at Glebe Collegiate Institute around the noon hour Tuesday.

    • After Ontario Premier Doug Ford made controversial comments about solutions to get people out of homeless encampments, advocates and members of the opposition spoke up on Tuesday.

    • Ottawa Community Housing has announced a new development downtown, which in its first phase will see 336 new affordable homes – and that plan is only the beginning.

    • The heat is rising for Quebec Premier François Legault as opposition parties demand answers about his government's investment in the planned Northvolt battery factory near Montreal.

    • Quebec's language watchdog received a record number of complaints from citizens last year and carried out an increasing number of inspections on employers.

    • Quebec's minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit says northern communities can't opt out of paying their electricity bills.

    • One person was hospitalized after a crash involving a Valley Line Southeast LRT train and a semi Tuesday morning.

    • Watching Connor McDavid screaming in a locker room is something hockey fans didn't necessarily expect.

    • A transgender Albertan says it would be a slap in the face if Premier Danielle Smith allows back into the government caucus a member who once compared transgender children to feces.

    • As temperatures cool down, the Halifax Regional Municipality is serving eviction notices to residents at one of the city’s larger tent encampments.

    • Antigonish County District RCMP is trying to track down a man wanted on a provincewide arrest warrant for sexual assault in Nova Scotia.

    • The Saint John Police Force is asking for the public’s help in locating Eric Martin, 48, who is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant.

    • Unions representing roughly 25,000 health-care support workers have issued a strike notice, alerting the province its members will walk off the job if a deal is not reached before a looming deadline.

    • An advocate organization is calling for an inquiry following the death of a six-year-old boy who went missing in Shamattawa First Nation.

    • The province has announced a new plan to lower the age for mammogram self-referrals to 40 from 50 in an effort to get more Manitobans screened for breast cancer.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP remain at the scene of a "police incident" on Fishing Lake First Nation after it announced officers were in the area searching for a suspect wanted in a long list of armed robberies.

    • Regina police will be conducting a two-day traffic blitz in and around the city Tuesday and Wednesday.

    • The Government of Saskatchewan says a private Christian school, embroiled in abuse allegations, has proved it's met education ministry rules by formally disconnecting from an affiliated church. But, by some indications, connections remain.

    • A reward of up to $50K has been issued by Waterloo Regional Police for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Joshua Bennett.

    • Back in July, a plot of land had an immature crop of corn destroyed. It was an action that outraged local farmers. Now, a new report into the matter has been released and will be presented to regional council Wednesday.

    • A replacement plaque has been installed at a memorial for a Cambridge boy and a Waterloo Regional Police officer who drowned in 1998.

    • The Government of Saskatchewan says a private Christian school, embroiled in abuse allegations, has proved it's met education ministry rules by formally disconnecting from an affiliated church. But, by some indications, connections remain.

    • A man and woman in Saskatoon who had two kilograms of methamphetamine seized from a home are going back to trial after having their acquittals overturned.

    • Saskatchewan RCMP remain at the scene of a "police incident" on Fishing Lake First Nation after it announced officers were in the area searching for a suspect wanted in a long list of armed robberies.

    • We've all had neighbours we didn't like, but two people from Sault Ste. Marie have been awarded more than half a million dollars for the 'extreme' behaviour of the people who lived next to them.

    • A 49-year-old Sudbury woman who was killed in a tragic collision with a police boat June 7 on Nepewassi Lake was told to remain in a residence on an island until police returned to pick her up.

    • The warden of Oxford County is sounding the siren over paramedic services in Oxford. His concerns come as county council considers a report detailing dramatic increases in emergency calls.

    • Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley pulled no punches during Monday’s council meeting, reacting to vandalism in the community, "This will not be tolerated."

    • The calls are growing louder for city council to tighten the rules governing short-term accommodations, including those advertised on websites like Airbnb and Vrbo, after students arrived by the busload at a rented house in the Masonville neighbourhood.

    • Three construction workers are being praised for their actions that police in Barrie say likely prevented an armed man from fleeing before being taken into custody.

    • Four puppies were found near County Road 21 in Essa Township after a passerby spotted one when it ran out of the ditch and onto the road.

    • An Uber driver was handed a 12-month driving ban on Tuesday following a collision that injured a pedestrian and killed a labrador retriever in Barrie.

    • A person from Windsor has died in a collision on Highway 59 in Oxford County.

    • A man swimming across the Detroit River from Windsor to Detroit was rescued by a mail boat, according to the J.W. Westcott Company.

    • The CEO of Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare has said that the new model focuses on streamlining referrals between existing services rather than creating new ones.

    • A city councillor in British Columbia says an online mob of "extremists" and "politically motivated hackers" is responsible for uncovering and publicizing a photo of him wearing a blackface costume to a Halloween party in 2007.

    • A boater was rescued on Monday evening after spending three hours in the frigid waters off Vancouver Island.

    • A man and a woman from Nanaimo, B.C., are facing more than two dozen charges after police seized four guns and several hundred grams of illicit drugs following a complaint about drug trafficking in the city's downtown core.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • Dozens of police officers and support workers have come to Lethbridge for the Social Disorder and Urban Crime Conference.

    • Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.

    • To make higher education an easier step to take for Indigenous students, the University of Lethbridge is dropping some fees for those applicants.

    • A 25-year-old suspect was charged with impaired driving Sept. 21 after police spotted two people without helmets on an ATV on Sand Bay Road in Goulais River.

    • A federal offender who was last seen in Sudbury is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for allegedly breaching his statutory release conditions.

    • The Crown's key witness in the sexual assault trial against former Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard will take the stand in a northern Ontario courtroom Tuesday afternoon following the judge's instructions to the jury.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½