More than 280 Nigerian school pupils have been abducted in the town of Kuriga, located in the north-western region of the country. The incident occurred when a group of gunmen on motorcycles stormed the school’s assembly ground, taking the students, aged between eight and 15, along with a teacher. This mass abduction is the latest in a series of kidnappings carried out by criminal gangs known as bandits, who have been active in the north-western region of Nigeria.
The incident took place around 08:30 local time, with eyewitnesses recounting the terrifying scene. One witness stated, “The students were in the assembly ground when dozens of gunmen on motorcycles rode through the school.” The witness further added that local people attempted to rescue the children but were repelled by the gunmen, resulting in one person being killed. The governor of Kaduna state, Uba Sani, confirmed the mass abduction, revealing that 187 students from a secondary school and 125 from a local primary school were missing. However, 25 students have since returned.
The situation has caused immense distress among the families of the abducted children. Zakariyya Nasiru, whose two siblings were taken hostage, expressed their anxiety, saying, “All of us couldn’t sleep as we keep thinking about them. We are here praying for their safe return.” Nasiru also mentioned that one boy managed to escape and provided harrowing reports of their conditions, including a lack of food. It is believed that almost every family in Kuriga has a child among those kidnapped.
In response to the abduction, the armed forces have launched an operation to locate and rescue the abducted students. Governor Uba Sani assured the public that “no child will be left behind” and vowed to do everything possible to secure their safe return. The incident comes shortly after a similar case where dozens of women and children were feared kidnapped by the Boko Haram Islamist group while collecting firewood in north-eastern Nigeria. However, the two incidents are not believed to be related.
It is important to note that the criminal kidnap gangs responsible for the recent wave of abductions in north-western Nigeria are distinct from the militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which operates in the north-eastern part of the country. However, there have been reports suggesting occasional collaboration between the two groups. The area where the attack occurred is controlled by Ansaru, a breakaway faction of Boko Haram that infamously kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in 2014.
The issue of kidnapping has become a significant concern in Nigeria, prompting the government to take measures to combat the problem. In 2022, a controversial law was passed, making it a crime to make ransom payments. The law carries a minimum jail sentence of 15 years. However, no arrests have been made under this legislation so far. Despite the law, families often find themselves compelled to pay ransoms to secure the release of their loved ones, as was the case earlier this year when a group of sisters kidnapped in Abuja were reportedly rescued by security forces after a ransom payment was made.
The abduction of over 280 Nigerian school pupils in Kuriga highlights the ongoing security challenges faced by the country, particularly in the north-western region. The incident has sparked widespread concern and calls for urgent action to ensure the safe return of the children. As Nigeria grapples with this crisis, it is crucial for authorities to address the root causes of these abductions and implement effective strategies to protect its citizens, especially vulnerable schoolchildren, from falling victim to criminal gangs.
