Multiple Abductions in Nigeria: Students and Women Kidnapped in Gada, Sokoto
In a distressing turn of events, Nigeria has once again been plagued by a wave of abductions. On Saturday, a school in Gada, Sokoto, fell victim to kidnappers who targeted more than a dozen students and four women. The local Member of Parliament, Bashir Usman Gorau, revealed that 15 students were among those abducted in the early hours of the morning.
This incident comes in the wake of the ongoing search for hundreds of schoolchildren who were taken in the western town of Kuriga just two days prior. Governor Uba Sani provided an update, stating that at least 28 of the children from Kuriga had managed to escape. The mass abduction on Thursday, which saw 280 students taken, marks the largest incident of its kind since 2021. Armed men on motorbikes targeted primary and secondary school children aged between eight and 15, leaving both school authorities and parents devastated.
Efforts to locate the missing children have been intensified, with Nigerian troops collaborating with the police and local search teams to scour the forests within Kaduna state, where Kuriga is situated, as well as neighboring states. It is believed that almost every family in the town has a child among those kidnapped. Tragically, one pupil, believed to be 14 years old, succumbed to injuries sustained during the attack.
The recent abductions follow another incident where women and children were taken from a remote town in Borno state. Governor Sani attributes the rise in kidnappings to the lack of sufficient security personnel on the ground. In response to these alarming events, families of the abducted children have formed vigilante groups and are seeking assistance from neighboring communities in their search for their loved ones.
Amidst this crisis, Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima is visiting Kaduna and is scheduled to meet with the governor. President Bola Tinubu expressed his confidence in the rescue of the victims, stating on social media, “Nothing else is acceptable to me and the waiting family members of these abducted citizens. Justice will be decisively administered.”
This mass abduction in Kaduna evokes painful memories of the infamous Chibok incident in 2014, where nearly 300 girls were kidnapped in Nigeria’s northeastern town. In certain parts of northern Nigeria, parents live in constant fear for their children’s safety and are hesitant to send them to school. Consequently, thousands of children are being deprived of an education.
It is worth noting that the last major abduction of children in Kaduna occurred in July 2021 when gunmen seized over 150 students. They were eventually reunited with their families after ransoms were paid. However, in 2022, Nigeria passed a law prohibiting ransom payments to kidnappers and implemented a 15-year prison sentence for those involved in such transactions. Additionally, abduction now carries the penalty of death in cases where victims lose their lives.
The situation in Nigeria is dire, and the government must take swift and decisive action to ensure the safety of its citizens, particularly its vulnerable children. The international community must also lend its support to help bring an end to these heinous acts and provide assistance in the rescue and rehabilitation of the victims.
Nigeria’s future depends on its ability to protect its youth and provide them with access to education, ensuring that they can grow up in a society free from fear and violence. The time for action is now, and the world must stand united against these atrocities that continue to haunt Nigeria.