Eight Nigerian schoolgirls escape from kidnappers

Eight Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by gunmen in northern Kaduna state two weeks ago have escaped from their captors.

The students were seized by an armed gang on their way home from a government secondary school in Awon in the area of Kachia.

Kaduna state security commissioner Samuel Aruwan says the students escaped through a thick forest near the border with Niger state.

The students walked for days before being found by some villagers, he said.

They have been taken to a military facility in Kaduna to receive medical attention, local media reports.

Gangs who operate mostly in remote parts of north-west Nigeria often kidnap students and demand hefty ransom payments for their freedom.

This article originally appeared on BBC News.

Image via Twitter.