NIGERIAN President Muhammadu Buhari promised today that every effort was being made to secure the safe return of more than 300 girls abducted from a school by gunmen on Friday.

“My heart is very heavy over the abduction of our young daughters from Government Girls Secondary School,” he said.

A delegation from his office visited Zamfara state on Sunday amid growing concerns for the children’s safety and whereabouts after 100 gunmen stormed their all-girls boarding school in the village of Jangebe.

Nigerian Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said that the president had given assurances that the 317 girls would be reunited with their families.

But Mr Buhari said that he refused to be blackmailed by “bandits,” having previously said that school security needs to be strengthened to prevent further incidents of that sort.

He criticised state governments for “rewarding bandits with vehicles and money,” saying that such a policy had encouraged more kidnappings.

On Sunday, Pope Francis added his voice to those demanding the release of the schoolgirls.

“I am praying for these girls so they might return home soon. I am near to their families,” he said.