Gunmen have attacked a school in Kaduna state, Nigeria's north-west region seizing at least 287 students, in the second mass abduction in the West African nation in less than a week.
9News Nigeria gathered that the surrounded Kuriga school as school children were starting the day in a second abduction in the country in less than a week.
The assailants stormed a government primary school in Chikun's Kuriga town shortly after morning assembly at 8am, taking almost 200 pupils hostage before any help could come, said Joshua Madami, a local youth leader.
People gather around an area were gunmen kidnapped school children in Chikun, Nigeria. Photograph: AP Photo/AP
Security forces and a government delegation arrived in the town several hours later as a search operation widened, while community members and parents gathered to wait for news.
Nigerian authorities had said earlier that more than 100 students were taken hostage in the attack. But Sani Abdullahi, the headteacher, told Kaduna governor Uba Sani when he visited the town on Thursday that the total number of those missing after a headcount was 287.
"We will ensure that every child will come back. We are working with the security agencies," the governor told the villagers.
"The government is trying everything possible with the security agencies to see how we can rescue them," said Musa, the council chairman.
The attack occurred days after more than 200 people, mostly women and children, were abducted by extremists in north-eastern Nigeria.
Women, children and students are often targeted in the mass abductions in the conflict-hit northern region, and many victims are released only after paying huge ransoms.
Eyewitnesses say both attacks are a reminder of Nigeria's worsening security crisis, which resulted in the deaths of several hundred people in 2023, according to an Associated Press analysis.
Bola Tinubu was elected president of Nigeria last year after promising to end the violence. But there has been "no tangible improvement in security situation yet", said Oluwole Ojewale, West and Central Africa researcher with the Africa-focused Institute for Security Studies.
Rescue our school children protest -More than 700 students have been abducted from Nigerian schools since December.(AFP: Kola Sulaimon)
This recent attack adds to the concerning trend of student abductions in northern Nigeria. Since 2014, when over 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped in Borno state's Chibok village by Islamic extremists, abductions from schools have become distressingly common. In recent years, the north-western and central regions have witnessed a concentration of these abductions, where numerous armed groups target villagers and travelers for significant ransoms. Women, children, and students are often the primary targets, and the victims are typically released after paying hefty ransoms.
The attacks serve as a stark reminder of Nigeria's deteriorating security crisis, which led to the deaths of several hundred people in 2023. Despite President Bola Tinubu's election and promise to end the violence, there has been no tangible improvement in the security situation, as highlighted by Oluwole Ojewale, a researcher with the Africa-focused Institute for Security Studies.
The abduction of over 100 schoolchildren in Kaduna is a distressing incident that underscores Nigeria's ongoing security challenges. The government, in collaboration with security agencies, is actively engaged in rescue efforts, aiming for the safe return of the abducted students. These incidents highlight the urgent need for sustained efforts to address the root causes of the abductions and enhance security across the country.
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