Of the last set of six students released by bandits who kidnapped students of the Federal Government College (FGC), Yauri, Kebbi State in 2023, three of them defied all odds and have posted over 200. They spent between 686 and 707 days in the kidnappers den.
Faiza Ahmed and Hafsat Murtala were released in late April 2023 while Esther Sunday was released in the first week of May 2023. They were among scores kidnapped on June 21, 2021.
Faiza Ahmed scored 225, Hafsat Murtala 222 and Esther Sunday, 217.
In a heartwarming turn of events, five of the kidnapped schoolgirls of Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, who were rescued from the clutches of armed bandits in 2023, achieved the commendable results in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), PRNigeria reports.
With the feat they achieved in the examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the students defied the odds stacked heavily against their dreams of a future—once nearly stolen.
The girls—once victims of a harrowing abduction that lasted as long as 707 days for some—have emerged as symbols of resilience and unbroken spirit, scoring well enough to qualify for university admission in Nigeria.
According to UTME results released by JAMB, three of the girls scored above 220, with the highest being 225. One candidate scored 217, while only one recorded a score below 200.
PRNigeria reports that those who sat for the 2025 examination include Faiza Ahmed (225), Rebecca James (225), Hafsat Murtala (Aggregate: 222), Esther Sunday (217), and Neemphere Daniel (177). All of them were among the 11 girls kidnapped on June 17, 2021, when bandits stormed their school in Kebbi State.
Reacting to their performance, Salim Ka’oje, Chairman of the Committee of Parents of 11 Abducted Students, said the results were more than just marks on paper—they were a testament to grit and recovery.
“After all they went through, even making it back to the classroom was a miracle,” Ka’oje said. “These scores are not just UTME results; they are proof of courage, defiance, and the will to rise above trauma.”
PRNigeria recalled that the students spent months—some nearly two years—in captivity, with several reports in 2023 confirming that some had become teenage mothers or were pregnant at the time of their release.
Their freedom followed a series of intense negotiations, often spearheaded by their parents and supported by well-meaning Nigerians.
Notorious bandit kingpin Dogo Gide had demanded a N100 million ransom for their release, prompting the girls’ parents to issue a national plea for financial help.
Eventually, in staggered phases between April and May 2023, the abducted students were released after payments facilitated by family, friends, and concerned Nigerians.
The journey from trauma to triumph has not been easy. Most of the girls had to restart their education from scratch after being released. Some battled post-traumatic stress, others had children to care for, and a few were initially hesitant to return to school. Yet, they pressed on.
“What makes this moment significant is not that they scored good marks” Ka’oje continued, “but that they scored at all. They did not quit. They did not let the violence done to them define the rest of their lives.”
Indeed, the achievements of the FGC Yauri girls, while modest by competitive admission standards, have been widely praised as inspiring and symbolic.
Many see the girls’ academic progress as a rallying point for national support towards rehabilitating victims of armed conflict and insurgency, especially those in educational institutions.
Their UTME performance is now being hailed not merely as a personal triumph, but as a stirring national symbol—one that calls on society to protect, uplift, and invest in the potential of every Nigerian child, especially those scarred by conflict.
● By PRNigeria, with aadditional reports by Everyday.ng
