Over 280 Students abducted by gunmen

In a devastating attack on a school in northwest Nigeria, gunmen have kidnapped more than
280 students, according to a teacher and local resident. The mass abduction, which
occurred during a raid on Thursday, is one of the largest of its kind in the country plagued by
rampant kidnappings for ransom.

“Gunmen kidnap more than 280 from Nigerian school: teacher,” said Sani Abdullahi, a
teacher at the GSS Kuriga school in the Chikun district of Kaduna State, where the incident
took place. Abdullahi revealed that while staff managed to escape with many students during
the attack, a careful count revealed the staggering number of missing children.

Local resident Muhammad Adam corroborated the numbers, telling AFP, “More than 280
have been kidnapped. We initially thought the number was 200, but after a careful count, it
was discovered the children kidnapped are a little more than 280.”

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani acknowledged the incident but refrained from providing
specific figures, stating, “As of this moment, we have not been able to know the number of
children or students that have been kidnapped. No child will be left behind.”

Kidnappings for ransom have become a common occurrence in Nigeria, with criminal gangs
targeting schools and colleges, particularly in the northwest region. While such attacks had
subsided recently, this latest incident serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing security
challenges faced by the country.

Amnesty International condemned the abductions, emphasizing, “Schools should be places
of safety, and no child should have to choose between their education and their life. The
Nigerian authorities must take measures immediately to prevent attacks on schools, to
protect children’s lives and their right to education.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who took office in May, has made reducing insecurity a
priority. However, Nigeria’s armed forces are grappling with multiple fronts, including a long-
running jihadist insurgency in the northeast.