NIGERIA: About 80 Children are reported missing as militants invade schools

By Haruna Idris
Photo: courtesy Chatham House
Nigeria is once again facing growing outrage and fear following a fresh series of attacks on schools that have left more than 80 children unaccounted for within the space of one week.
Local authorities and human rights advocates say armed groups carried out coordinated assaults in different parts of the country, targeting schools and abducting students in incidents that highlight the worsening insecurity affecting education in Africa’s most populous nation.
The first attack occurred between Wednesday and Thursday in Borno State, a region in northeastern Nigeria that has long battled insurgency linked to extremist groups. Gunmen reportedly stormed a primary school in the Askira Uba and Chibok axis, taking away 42 children.
According to Amnesty International, the raid happened in Mussa village, located near the notorious Sambisa forest, an area widely known as a hideout for the extremist group Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.
While communities in the northeast were still reeling from the shock, another set of attacks unfolded hundreds of miles away in southwestern Nigeria. On Friday, armed men struck two secondary schools in Oyo State within hours of each other, abducting at least 40 students, according to Amnesty International’s Nigerian office. Incidents of this nature are considered highly unusual in that part of the country.
Human rights groups warn that the recurring kidnappings are creating widespread fear among families and forcing many children to abandon their education. Amnesty International said some parents are now withdrawing their daughters from school altogether, with fears of attacks pushing families toward early marriages as a form of protection.
A government official from Mussa, Peter Wabba, said authorities have promised to intensify rescue efforts, but families are becoming increasingly frustrated over the lack of progress.
“We are being assured that everything possible is being done to rescue the children, but for now, we are still waiting,” Wabba told reporters in the area.
Amnesty International also criticized Nigerian authorities for what it described as repeated failures to properly investigate such attacks or ensure justice for victims and their families.
The organization said affected communities continue to suffer without accountability for those behind the crimes.
Meanwhile, police in Oyo State announced the arrest of three suspected gunmen linked to the school attacks in the Oriire area, located roughly 135 miles from Lagos. Police spokesperson Ayanlade Olayinka said the suspects were identified by local residents before being taken into custody. Authorities have not confirmed whether more arrests are expected.
Mass kidnappings from schools have become one of the most troubling symbols of Nigeria’s security crisis, particularly in the northern part of the country where armed gangs and extremist factions frequently target vulnerable communities.
Last year alone, more than 300 students were kidnapped in separate mass abductions across northern Nigeria, incidents that drew both national and international condemnation.
Security analysts say schools remain attractive targets for criminal and militant groups because of the attention such attacks generate, as well as the pressure they place on authorities and affected communities.
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