The incident marks the second mass kidnapping in the West African country in less than a week. School kidnappings in northern Nigeria are common and have been a concern since 2014 when Islamist extremists abducted more than 200 schoolgirls from the village of Chibok in Borno state.
In recent years, kidnappings have been concentrated in northwestern and central Nigeria, where dozens of armed groups regularly target villagers and tourists demanding huge ransoms.
People gather around the area where gunmen kidnapped schoolchildren in Chikun, Nigeria on March 7, 2024. Photo: AP
Locals told the AP news agency that the attackers on Thursday surrounded the public school in Kuriga town in Kaduna state just as students were about to start their school day at around 8 a.m.
Authorities had earlier said more than 100 students were taken hostage in the attack. However, Sani Abdullahi, the school principal, told Kaduna Governor Uba Sani when he visited the town that the total number of missing after being counted was 287.
“We will ensure that every child comes back. We are working with the security agencies,” the Kaduna governor said.
No group has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack, which came days after more than 200 people, mostly women and children, were kidnapped by extremists in northeastern Nigeria.
Women, children and schoolchildren are often targeted in mass kidnappings in conflict-torn northern Nigeria, with many victims only released after paying huge ransoms.
Both attacks are a reminder of Nigeria's worsening security crisis, which has left hundreds dead since 2023, according to an AP analysis.
Mai Anh (according to AP)
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