more Than 300 Students Abducted in Nigerian school Attack
The number of students confirmed missing following an attack on a school in Niger state, Nigeria, has risen to over 300, officials said Friday. The students were abducted from the Goverment Science College kagara on February 17th, in an attack carried out by armed gunmen. Initial reports indicated around 27 students were taken, but a revised count released by authorities substantially increases the scale of the kidnapping.
This latest mass abduction underscores the escalating insecurity plaguing Nigeria, where school kidnappings have become a disturbingly common tactic employed by armed groups seeking to draw attention to their grievances or extort ransom payments. The incident occurs just days after 25 schoolchildren were seized in neighboring Kebbi state’s Maga town, 170 kilometers (106 miles) away. No group has claimed obligation for the abductions, and authorities have deployed tactical squads alongside local hunters to attempt a rescue.
According to Yohanna, a local community leader, the state government’s claim that the school had reopened for studies despite a prior directive to close schools in the area due to security threats is false. ”We did not receive any circular. It must be an afterthought and a way to shift blame,” he said, urging families “to remain calm and prayerful.”
UNICEF reported last year that only 37% of schools across 10 conflict-hit states in Nigeria have early warning systems to detect potential threats. The attacks affect people of all faiths, despite claims by U.S. President Donald Trump of targeted killings against christians in the contry. the school attack in Kebbi state earlier this week occurred in a Muslim-majority town.
The attack unfolded while Nigerian National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu was visiting the U.S., where he met with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday.
