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NEW DELHI: Unidentified gunmen on Friday abducted over 200 students from a school in Nigeria, making it one of the largest mass abductions in the country.
While local government officials in Kaduna State have confirmed the kidnapping at Kuriga school, they are still working to determine the exact number of children who have been abducted. One person lost their life during the attack.Sani Abdullahi, a teacher at GSS Kuriga school, stated that many students and staff managed to escape when the gunmen stormed the building, firing gunshots in the air. However, there are still many children unaccounted for.
The exact number of kidnapped children and students is yet to be confirmed by local officials and police. It is not uncommon for initial figures to be revised as people who fled the attack return home. Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani assured the public that no child would be left behind and that efforts are underway to ascertain the true extent of the abduction.
Amidst widespread condemnation of the abductions in Kaduna, Amnesty International emphasised the importance of schools being safe spaces for children. The rights group urged the Nigerian authorities to take immediate action to prevent further attacks on educational institutions and safeguard the lives and right to education of the country’s youth.
The event highlights the prevalent issue of kidnappings for ransom in Africa’s most populous nation. Criminal gangs, armed to the teeth, have previously targeted educational institutions, especially in the northwest region.
Sadly, mass abductions have become a recurring nightmare in Nigeria, particularly in the northwest and central regions. In recent years, hundreds of schoolchildren and college students have fallen victim to such heinous acts. Most of them are eventually released after paying a hefty ransom, following weeks or even months of captivity in hidden forest camps.
Last week, over 100 individuals went missing after militants kidnapped women and children in a camp for those displaced by the conflict in the northeast. Additionally, in September 2021, gunmen abducted 30 individuals, including 24 female students, from a university in Zamfara State. The town of Jangebe in Zamfara also witnessed a similar incident in February 2021, when more than 300 students were kidnapped from a girls’ boarding school.
Nigeria’s armed forces are currently engaged in multiple battles, including the ongoing fight against a jihadist insurgency in the northeast.
While local government officials in Kaduna State have confirmed the kidnapping at Kuriga school, they are still working to determine the exact number of children who have been abducted. One person lost their life during the attack.Sani Abdullahi, a teacher at GSS Kuriga school, stated that many students and staff managed to escape when the gunmen stormed the building, firing gunshots in the air. However, there are still many children unaccounted for.
The exact number of kidnapped children and students is yet to be confirmed by local officials and police. It is not uncommon for initial figures to be revised as people who fled the attack return home. Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani assured the public that no child would be left behind and that efforts are underway to ascertain the true extent of the abduction.
Amidst widespread condemnation of the abductions in Kaduna, Amnesty International emphasised the importance of schools being safe spaces for children. The rights group urged the Nigerian authorities to take immediate action to prevent further attacks on educational institutions and safeguard the lives and right to education of the country’s youth.
The event highlights the prevalent issue of kidnappings for ransom in Africa’s most populous nation. Criminal gangs, armed to the teeth, have previously targeted educational institutions, especially in the northwest region.
Sadly, mass abductions have become a recurring nightmare in Nigeria, particularly in the northwest and central regions. In recent years, hundreds of schoolchildren and college students have fallen victim to such heinous acts. Most of them are eventually released after paying a hefty ransom, following weeks or even months of captivity in hidden forest camps.
Last week, over 100 individuals went missing after militants kidnapped women and children in a camp for those displaced by the conflict in the northeast. Additionally, in September 2021, gunmen abducted 30 individuals, including 24 female students, from a university in Zamfara State. The town of Jangebe in Zamfara also witnessed a similar incident in February 2021, when more than 300 students were kidnapped from a girls’ boarding school.
Nigeria’s armed forces are currently engaged in multiple battles, including the ongoing fight against a jihadist insurgency in the northeast.
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