In a recent incident, a group of attackers forcefully raided a school in Nigeria, seizing a minimum of 287 students. This assault mirrors previous attacks in the area, where various extremist factions have targeted both tourists and locals. While no entity has claimed responsibility for the abductions, authorities point to a local group as the likely perpetrators of this latest assault.
According to The New York Post, the event occurred on March 7th in Kuriga town, situated in Kaduna State, northwest Nigeria. The abductors besieged the school around 8 a.m., coinciding with the start of classes. Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna pledged to retrieve each missing child, affirming collaboration with local security forces. The search efforts persist as anxious parents and relatives anxiously await any updates.
According to ABC News, it’s speculated that an Islamic extremist group might be accountable, although the assault could also be attributed to bandits—armed gangs that have proliferated across the area. These groups have asserted responsibility for prior abductions, along with instances of mass violence and other illicit actions.
They’ve seized control of nearby farms and mining areas, exploiting locals as forced labor. The nation’s military forces are stretched thin in combating this menace. While authorities previously suspected that abductors coerced victims into marriage with their members, recent incidents primarily revolve around ransom demands.
The emergence of bandit groups stemmed from conflicts among local nomads over the scarce resources of the land. Over time, these factions have transformed into sophisticated criminal syndicates, exerting control over extensive territories. Authorities estimate that numerous well-equipped bandit gangs, numbering in the hundreds, are currently instilling fear across the region.
Since 2014, approximately 1,500 students have been kidnapped in the area. Given their vulnerability, children are frequently singled out as targets, eliciting strong emotional reactions. Consequently, families and government bodies often pay ransom to secure their safe return. This has turned ransom collection into a lucrative enterprise for many of these groups.
