Mass kidnapping in Nigeria: – At least 150 children missing

One person was killed and several others were injured after unidentified gunmen kidnapped about 150 children from an Islamic school in Nigeria. The owner of the school, Abu Bakr Tigina, says: Reuters He witnessed the attack and estimates that about 150 students were taken.

– I personally saw between 20 and 25 motorcycles with guns. Tegina says they entered the school and took about 150 students with them معهم Reuters.

More than 700 students were kidnapped

Armed groups carrying out kidnappings for ransom have been accused of a series of raids on schools and universities in northern Nigeria in recent months, and have kidnapped more than 700 students for ransom since December.

The governor’s spokeswoman said 11 of the transferred children were released because they were “too young to walk”. Reuters. Police spokesman Waisu Abiodun said CNN Many security teams have been mobilized to rescue school children, and the police will ensure that “children are rescued unharmed.”

pay ransom

Sunday’s attack in Nigeria came a day after the release of the remaining 14 students from a group kidnapped last month from a university in neighboring Kaduna. Five of the students were killed while in captivity.

Kidnappings have become one of the biggest security challenges in Nigeria, and hundreds of students have been kidnapped in various mass kidnappings in Northern Nigeria. Some state governors regularly pay ransoms to ensure the safety of victims, but they rarely admit it.

Between June 2011 and the end of March 2020, it was estimated that approximately $18.3 million was paid in ransom.