Gunmen attacked a school in Kebbi State, Nigeria, killing one staff member and wounding another while abducting about twenty-five schoolgirls. The attackers, known locally as bandits, arrived firing sporadically to cause panic and then marched some of the girls into nearby bushland.
Eyewitnesses described a large group of attackers who engaged in a gun duel with police personnel before scaling the perimeter fence and seizing the students from their hostel.
Search and Rescue Operation Underway
The police have deployed additional tactical units, military personnel, and vigilante groups to the area, and a coordinated search and rescue operation is underway in the surrounding forests and suspected escape routes. This incident highlights the persistent security crisis in the region, where schools have become frequent targets for armed groups seeking ransom payments or leverage with the government.
Background of School Abductions in Nigeria
This attack is the first major school abduction since March 2024, when over 200 pupils were seized from a school in Kaduna state.
Very key to note is that the abduction of school children in the Northern region was brought to the limelight in 2014 when over 276 schoolgirls were captured in Chibok. There have also been cases where schoolboys were captured in towns like Bun-Yadi.
Nigeria has banned the payment of ransoms to make kidnapping less lucrative, but the practice persists.
