Lagos , Nigeria ( CNN ) -- Authorities in Nigeria have recovered 15 schoolchildren who were snatched by kidnappers earlier this week , a police spokesman said Friday . The children were rescued by police late Thursday in southeastern Nigeria 's Abia state , according to Yeni Ajayi , a deputy National Police spokesman . He added that the four gunmen holding them escaped . The gunmen boarded a school bus carrying the nursery and elementary school children from Abayi International School on Monday and took them away . There were questions as to whether the children were foreigners because they attended the international school . The kidnappers contacted the children 's school , located near the city of Aba and demanded 20 million naira -- around $ 130,000 . Just after the incident , authorities said the bus driver and the school teacher who were on board were in police custody and helping security forces . Abia state is often referred to as the `` kidnapping capital '' of Nigeria since abductions occur there on a weekly basis . Schools , banks and businesses have closed in the area because of the rampant insecurity and dangers posed by kidnappers . Nigeria 's President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned what he calls `` utterly callous and cruel kidnapping '' and ordered the Inspector-General of Police and heads of other security agencies `` to take all necessary steps to rescue the abducted children and return them safely to their parents . '' But many such promises have been made in the past and insecurity in Abia has only worsened .
The kidnappings took place in southeastern Nigeria . The abduction occurred in Nigeria 's `` kidnapping capital '' Abuja.