Nigerian gunmen reportedly kidnapped nearly 300 students in the northwest region of the country during an attack on a school on Thursday.
The heinous crime marks the second mass abduction in the nation over the past week, which has become common since 2014. At the time, Islamic extremists kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls in Chibok village in Borno state.
Nigeria Kidnapping
Over the past few years, the abductions have been concentrated in northwestern and central regions. These are where dozens of armed groups often set their sights on villagers and travelers for huge ransoms.
Local residents said that the assailants on Thursday surrounded the government-owned school in Kaduna State's Kuriga town. The attack came just as pupils and students were about to start the school day at around 8:00 a.m.
Previously, authorities said that more than 100 students were taken hostage in the attack. However, the headteacher of the school, Sani Abdullahi, told Gov. Uba Sani that the total number of students who were missing after a headcount was 287, according to the Associated Press.
In a statement, the governor said that they will work to make sure that every child who was abducted is brought back. He added that they are now working with the security agencies to address the issue.
No group has yet to claim responsibility for the mass abduction on Thursday but authorities have placed the blame on armed groups that mostly constitute herders. They are accused of carrying out violent attacks and kidnappings for ransom. The crimes come after decades-long pastoral conflict with host communities.
The nation's security forces arrived with the governor a few hours later as a search operation widened. This was as community members and parents gathered together to await news of the situation.
Hundreds of Students Taken Hostage
One parent, Fatima Usman, whose two children were among the ones who were abducted, said that they did not know what to do. Another parent, Hassan Abdullahi, said that local vigilantes attempted to fight against the kidnappers but failed as they were overpowered, said the Jerusalem Post.
The frequent kidnappings for ransom in northern Nigeria have disrupted the lives of the local people and have kept thousands of children from attending school. The last major reported abduction that involved students in Kaduna was in July 2021. It was when gunmen took more than 150 students during a raid.
One eyewitness said that during the latest attack, the gunmen shot one student who was being given medical attention at the Birnin Gwari hospital. Nearly every family is believed to have a child who was abducted by the gunmen.
The Thursday abductions occurred in an area that is controlled by Ansaru, which is a breakaway faction of Boko Haram. The group is responsible for the 2014 kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls.
A controversial law has made it a crime to make ransom payments and was passed in 2022. It was part of efforts made by officials to curb Nigeria's spiraling and lucrative kidnapping industry. The law carries a prison sentence of at least 15 years but no one has ever been arrested under it, according to BBC.
