Gunmen Abduct 287 School Pupils In Kaduna Fresh Attack

Gunmen abduct 287 school pupils in Kaduna, the northern part of Nigeria in a fresh attack.

At least 287 school pupils have been abducted in northern region of Nigeria after gunmen invade school premises as classes were about to start, their headteacher confirmed.

The incident has been recorded as the second mass abduction in the West African nation in less than a week – more than 200 people were taken by extremists in north-eastern Nigeria days before.

It was gathered that gunmen surrounded the school in Kuriga town around 8am on Thursday.

The headteacher informed Kaduna Governor Uba Sani during his visit to the town that the total number of missing students after a headcount was 287.

“We will ensure that every child will come back. We are working with the security agencies,” the governor Sani assured.

The governor also mentioned that a community member who confronted the abductors during the attack was killed.

Additionally, Sani stated that the President of Nigeria and the National Security Adviser were aware of the situation, and a Security Committee and a military base would be established in Kuriga to strengthen security in the area.

Kaduna state, bordering the Nigerian capital Abuja to the southwest, has experienced recurring incidents of kidnappings for ransom by bandits and has witnessed several mass abductions in recent years, including in the district where LEA Primary and Secondary School is located.

In 2021, at least 140 students were kidnapped by armed men from a private secondary school. This incident occurred just months after around 20 students from a private university in Chikun’s Kasarami village were abducted by gunmen, five of whom were killed after a ransom deadline was not met, according to family members.

Meanwhile, Bola Tinubu was elected president of Nigeria last year after promising to end the violence.

But there has been “no tangible improvement in the security situation yet” under Tinubu, said Oluwole Ojewale, West and Central Africa researcher with the Africa-focused Institute for Security Studies.

Concerns over abductions of schoolchildren in Nigeria arose in 2014 when Islamic extremists kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls in Borno state’s Chibok village.

In recent years, the abductions have been concentrated in northwestern and central regions, where dozens of armed groups often target villagers and travellers for huge ransoms.