Armed men stormed a boarding school in northwestern Nigeria early Saturday, kidnapping 15 pupils while they slept, according to police. This attack marks the third mass abduction in the region within a week.
The gunmen targeted an Islamic seminary in the village of Gidan Bakuso, Sokoto state, seizing the children from their dormitory, said Sokoto police spokesman Ahmad Rufai. Liman Abubakar, the seminary head, confirmed the pupils’ ages ranged from eight to 14.
One woman was also abducted from the remote village, Rufai added. A police tactical squad has been deployed to search for the victims.
Search Intensifies for Nearly 300 Students Abducted Earlier
This latest incident comes as Nigerian soldiers continue their search for nearly 300 students kidnapped from a government school in Kaduna state last Thursday. The mass abduction – the first since July 2021 – sent shockwaves through the town of Kuriga, 90 kilometers from the state capital.
A security source revealed that the army’s Kaduna-based First Division leads the operation, with support from local police, intelligence agencies, and the air force. The Kaduna state vigilance service, a local group familiar with the terrain, is also assisting in the search.
“Security agencies and the state government are working tirelessly to secure the freedom of all abducted students and pupils,” said Muhammad Shehu Lawal, a spokesperson for the Kaduna state governor. However, Lawal declined to provide specific details on the search efforts.
Pattern of School Abductions Emerges
This string of abductions highlights a growing pattern of targeting schools in northern Nigeria. The infamous Chibok schoolgirls’ kidnapping by Boko Haram in 2014 brought this tactic to international attention. While some of those girls remain missing, the strategy has since been adopted by criminal gangs seeking ransom payments.
These abductions tear families and communities apart, forcing desperate parents to sell their belongings to raise ransom money. Nigerian authorities appear increasingly powerless to stop these attacks, leaving many to wonder when and if the tide will turn.
