Gunmen have attacked a school in northwestern Nigeria and kidnapped more than 200 children, according to residents and a teacher. Local authorities in Kaduna State on Thursday confirmed abductions of children from school in Kuriga. However, they stated that they had not yet established the number of abductees. At least one person was killed in the attack, according to local residents.
Sani Abdullahi, one of the teachers at the school in Chikun district, said during a visit by state representatives that the school staff managed to escape with many students when the perpetrators attacked and shot into the air early on Thursday. By their count, more than 280 children are still missing.
Governor promises: ‘No child will be left behind’
Resident Muhammad Adam also spoke to the AFP news agency about more than 280 kidnapped people. Other residents spoke of about 200 people kidnapped. Police and other authorities have not provided information on the number of abductees. “At this stage we cannot say how many children or students have been abducted,” Kaduna Governor Uba Sani told reporters in Kuriga on Thursday. “No child will be left behind.”
Photos of the city after the mass kidnapping:
Amnesty International: “Schools must be safe places”
On Thursday it was announced that dozens of people were missing after a mass kidnapping by jihadists in the northeast of the country. The human rights organization Amnesty International condemned the kidnappings in Kaduna and called on Nigerian authorities to take measures to prevent attacks on schools. “Schools should be safe places and no child should have to choose between their education and their life,” the organization said on online service X.
Kidnapping is a major problem in Nigeria. In addition to jihadists in the northeast, Africa’s most populous state is struggling with criminal gangs in the northwest and intercommunal violence in the center of the country. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was elected last year on a promise to address Nigeria’s poor security situation. However, critics say not much has happened since then.
Hundreds of schoolchildren and students have been kidnapped in mass kidnappings in Nigeria’s northwestern and central regions, including Kaduna, in recent years. After spending weeks or months in hidden forest camps, almost all were released after paying ransoms.
A mass kidnapping of internally displaced persons took place in the northeastern state of Borno at the end of February. According to United Nations estimates, more than 200 people were kidnapped. In this case too, the exact number of abductees was not known.
Since 2014, the Islamist terrorist militia Boko Haram and criminal groups have kidnapped scores of women and children in the north of Africa’s most populous country of about 220 million people. This may involve extortion of ransoms, forced recruitment into armed groups or sexual violence. Almost exactly ten years ago, in April 2014, the kidnapping of 276 students from their boarding school in the city of Chibok caused worldwide horror. Many girls are still missing.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
