Another Nigerian school robbery, ‘200 children kidnapped’

Another school in northern Nigeria has been attacked, kidnapping a large number of students. Local media speak of at least 200 kidnapped children; the authorities have not yet confirmed this.

It is not known who is behind today’s attack. These were heavily armed men.

The African country is regularly plagued by attacks on schools and universities, in which the children are then kidnapped for ransom demands. Hundreds of students have been kidnapped this year alone.

In 2014, the jihadist movement Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from a school in Chibok, also in Nigeria. At the time, this resulted in worldwide reactions: among other things: first lady Michelle Obama posed with a banner that read #BringBackOurGirls. Several gangs have since taken over the kidnappings as a way to generate income.

released

In late April, a group of students from Greenfield University in Kaduna were taken after a storming by an unknown group. Five hostages were killed in the hope of getting ransom money.

Yesterday, the remaining students were released. Families of the kidnapped students told a local newspaper that a ransom was eventually paid. The government denies that.

–