Fifty of the 315 students abducted from a Catholic school in Niger State last Friday have reportedly escaped, the Christian Association of Nigeria confirmed. The students have been reunited with their families.

Nigeria’s military is conducting a large-scale operation to locate the 265 students and 12 teachers still in captivity. Authorities have ordered the closure of schools in Niger and Kebbi states following a series of mass kidnappings, including the abduction of 20 students from a boarding school in Kebbi on Monday.

In Kwara State, 38 people taken from a church service last week were released on Sunday, though two others were killed in the attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku.

School closures have also been enforced across Kebbi, Niger, Katsina, Yobe, and Kwara states as officials work to secure the safety of students.

The news of the escaped children has offered relief to families and communities in northwestern Nigeria, where hundreds remain in the hands of armed kidnappers.