Gunmen have taken 23 children from an orphanage in central Nigeria, according to authorities. The incident occurred at the Dahallukitab Group of School in a remote area of Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, as confirmed by state commissioner Kingsley Femi Fanwo. Although 15 children have been rescued, eight are still held captive. The attackers’ identities are unknown, and no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction yet.
The exact ages of the abducted children were not disclosed in the statement. Typically, in Nigeria, the term “pupil” refers to children in kindergarten or primary school, typically up to 12 years old.
Following the report, security agencies, led by the Nigeria Police Force in Kogi State, swiftly responded to the scene with other security forces. As a result, they successfully rescued 15 of the kidnapped pupils. Efforts are ongoing to secure the safe return of the remaining eight children and apprehend the culprits.
Kogi State has witnessed an increase in armed groups engaging in kidnapping for ransom. This incident adds to the security challenges faced by Nigeria, especially in the northern regions, where a prolonged insurgency has been ongoing for over a decade.
Various militant groups, including Boko Haram, its breakaway faction ISWAP, and the IS-linked Lakurawa group, are active in different parts of the country, contributing to the security crisis.
Save the Children reported that there have been at least 10 school abductions in Nigeria within the last two years, affecting approximately 670 children. The organization highlighted an escalating trend of child kidnappings in or on their way to school since January 2024, based on news reports and ACLED data.
In a separate incident in northwestern Nigeria, armed assailants kidnapped 25 schoolgirls and shot a staff member at a secondary school in Maga, Kebbi State, last year. While one student managed to escape on the same day, the remaining 24 were rescued a week later. President Bola Tinubu confirmed the rescue without providing further details.
The abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in Borno State in 2014 drew widespread attention and led to the global “#BringBackOurGirls” campaign. As of 2024, nearly 100 of the girls were still missing.
Additionally, over 100 students and staff members were abducted from a government college in Kebbi State in June 2021. Ransom payments facilitated the release of the students over a two-year period, with some victims forced into marriages and others returning with children.
In another incident, gunmen kidnapped 140 pupils from Bethel Baptist School in Kaduna State a month later. The students were released in groups as ransom demands were met in the ensuing months.
According to Save the Children, more than 1,680 pupils were kidnapped from Nigerian schools between early 2014 and the end of 2022.