The attack took place on the morning of November 21 in the Papiri community. According to local church officials, one of the security officers was seriously injured. Some of the children were able to escape, but other attackers were kidnapped towards a wooded area, and the families still have no contact with them.
Police and military personnel were involved in the search, but state authorities said the school had reopened despite a threat warning and had not notified the government. Therefore, as the media writes, hundreds of children were at unjustified risk.
The attack was the latest in a series of mass kidnappings in the region. Just this week in neighboring Kebbi and Kwara states, armed groups also attacked a school and a church, kidnapping dozens of people. In Kevara, the kidnappers demand a ransom of 100 million naira ($68 thousand) for each captive.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu canceled his trip to the G20 summit due to the violence. The authorities promise to use all resources to return the children and punish the attackers.
AP noted that Nigeria has been experiencing a wave of kidnappings for more than a decade—at least 1,500 students have been abducted in the region since the 2014 Boko Haram attack on a school in Chibok. Experts and local residents blame the impunity of the criminals on corruption and weak security forces unable to confront armed gangs.
