Dozens of schoolchildren and staff were abducted by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria early Wednesday, according to local officials, the latest in a series of high school abductions that have shattered the northern states of Africa’s most populous country.
Armed forces stormed the government science college in Kagara district of Niger state around 2 a.m. and overwhelmed school security, killing a student before ordering students and staff to leave pensions and gather, according to officials. “The situation is very serious … About 27 students, 3 employees and 12 members of their family have been abducted,” said Abubakar Sani Bello, governor of Niger. Unfortunately, one student was shot. ”
A photo shared by the governor’s security officials showed a student’s body on the back of a leaf-covered truck. There was no immediate claim of liability.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, criticized for reacting slowly to previous kidnappings, sent the country’s military leaders to coordinate a rescue operation, his spokesman said.
Shehu Sani, a former senator who studied in Kagara as a boy, said it was not clear how many people were missing, but that the school was accompanied by about 1,000 students.