More than two dozen schoolgirls have been abducted and one staff member has been killed after gunmen attacked a high school in northwestern Nigeria, according to police in the region.
No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the abduction of 25 girls from the boarding school in Kebbi state, and the motivation for the attack remains unclear.
Background of Abductions in Nigeria
Nigeria is facing a multi-dimensional security challenge with threats from various groups. Armed bandits specializing in kidnapping for ransom have been responsible for several high-profile abductions across the northern region. Kidnappings and attacks on villages and major roads have become common due to a limited security presence.
These armed bandits are distinct from militant groups like Boko Haram and the splinter faction Islamic State West Africa Province, which conduct attacks motivated by religious ideology.
Details of the Attack
Police reported that the schoolgirls were taken from their dormitories around 4 a.m. on Monday. The school is located in Maga, in the Danko-Wasagu area of Kebbi state, according to police spokesperson Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi.
The assailants were equipped with sophisticated weapons and exchanged gunfire with security guards before the abduction occurred. A combined team is currently searching suspected escape routes and surrounding forests in a coordinated operation aimed at recovering the abducted students and apprehending the perpetrators.
Attacks targeting schoolchildren in Nigeria have increased since at least 2014, when Boko Haram kidnapped 276 students from Chibok in Borno state, marking the start of a new era of insecurity. Since then, over 1,500 students have been kidnapped as armed groups exploit abductions to fund additional criminal activities and exert control in mineral-rich areas with insufficient policing.
In March 2024, more than 130 schoolchildren were rescued after spending over two weeks in captivity in Kaduna state.
