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Fifty schoolchildren escape mass kidnapping in Nigeria, but hundreds still missing

Fifty Students Escape From Nigerian School Kidnapping, but Hundreds Still Missing

Summary:

Fifty students kidnapped from a Nigerian Catholic school last week have escaped and reunited with their parents. However, around 253 students and 12 teachers are still with the kidnappers. This school abduction is the worst since the kidnapping of 276 Chibok girls by Boko Haram in 2014. Armed gangs, known locally as bandits, are behind these attacks, and their motive is money. Schools lack adequate security, making them easy targets for kidnappers.

What This Means for You:

  • School abductions continue to be a severe issue in Nigeria, with armed gangs targeting students for ransom.
  • Adequate security measures are essential for protecting schools and their students.
  • Parents, communities, and government authorities must work together to combat school kidnappings and ensure the safety of students.
  • The global community should support Nigeria in addressing this crisis, particularly focusing on providing resources for improving security measures and capturing kidnappers.

Original Post:

Fifty of more than 300 students kidnapped from a Nigerian Catholic school last week have escaped and have been reunited with their parents, the Catholic Church and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said on Sunday.
But around 253 of those kidnapped, including 12 staff members and teachers, are still with the kidnappers, said CAN chairman Bulus Yohanna, a Catholic Bishop who is also the proprietor of the school.

In a statement, Yohanna said the pupils escaped between Friday and Saturday.

How did this happen?

If confirmed, Friday’s attack on St Mary’s School in Niger state — roughly the size of Serbia — would be Nigeria’s worst school abduction since the kidnapping of 276 Chibok girls by Boko Haram in the northeast in 2014.
The Christian Association of Nigeria said 303 students and 12 teachers were taken from the school.
No one has publicly claimed responsibility for the latest assaults, although the perpetrators of a separate church raid on Tuesday last week appear to belong to an armed gang motivated by ransom money.
The attacks are indiscriminate and follow a similar pattern. Gangs known locally as bandits arrive, shoot sporadically to scare people, abduct victims and vanish into nearby forests.
On Monday, armed men stormed a predominantly Muslim girls school in northwest Kebbi state and seized 25 students.
Also on Monday, another armed gang abducted 64 people, including women and children, from their homes in Zamfara state, which borders Kebbi.
On Tuesday, gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic Church in central Kwara state, killing two people and abducting 38 worshippers, according to a church official.
The official said the gunmen had issued a ransom demand of 100 million naira (roughly AUD $107,000) per worshipper.
Security experts say such attacks and kidnappings are motivated by money, and schools are easy targets as they lack adequate security. Also, parents are more prepared to raise ransoms to bring back their children.
“There’s just a lot of money to be made in this enterprise,” said Ikemesit Effiong, senior partner at Lagos-based SBM Intelligence consultancy.
Amose Ibrahim was one of the parents who rushed to St. Mary’s school after hearing news that dozens had escaped to check if any of his three children were free.

“Unfortunately, they were not among the escapees,” Ibrahim, whose youngest child is six years old, told Reuters by phone. “As of now, many parents and their loved ones are roaming around the school.”

This week’s attacks prompted Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to cancel trips to South Africa and Angola, where he was due to attend a G20 summit and an African Union-European Union summit.
The government has also ordered the closure of 47 colleges in the north of Nigeria.
Nigeria faces scrutiny from US President Donald Trump who in early November threatened military action over the treatment of Christians in the country.

[1] Insecurity in Nigeria światowydarzy.pl


Extra Information:

To learn more about school abductions in Nigeria, read “Nigeria: Addressing the scourge of school kidnappings” on Al Jazeera here and “Kidnapping in Nigeria: How the Chibok girls influenced the rise of abductions” on The Africa Report here.

People Also Ask About:

  • “What happened in the Nigerian school kidnapping?”: The kidnapping took place at St Mary’s School in Niger state. More than 300 students, including staff, were kidnapped, but 50 students have managed to escape.
  • “How can I help stop school attacks and kidnappings in Nigeria?”: You can donate to charities providing aid to the crisis or support organizations pressuring the Nigerian government to improve school security and capture kidnappers.
  • “What is the main motive behind these kidnappings?”: The primary motive behind these kidnappings is money, with parents and schools often paying ransoms for the release of their children and staff.
  • “What is being done to ensure students’ safety in Nigerian Schools?”: The Nigerian government has ordered the closure of 47 colleges in the north of Nigeria to prevent further attacks. However, adequate security measures are essential to protect schools and their students.

Expert Opinion:

Experts argue that comprehensive security measures, cooperation between parents and government authorities, and international support are essential to combat school kidnappings in Nigeria and ensure the safety of students and staff.

Key Terms:

  • School kidnappings
  • Nigeria
  • Armed gangs
  • Ransom money
  • Adequate security


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