Metro
TIMELINE: At Least 334 Nigerian Students Kidnapped in One Year
No fewer than 15 students have been reported missing following the mass abduction in the Gidan Bakuso area of Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State. FIJ gathered from media reports that the aggressors invaded the community, shot one person and abducted the students from their school around 1:00 am on Saturday.
The incident happened barely 24 hours after reports of the abduction of about 100 primary school pupils and 187 secondary students in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State. In both incidents, state actors described the aggressors as bandits.
However, these incidents are not the first mass abductions from Nigerian schools. Between January 2023 and the time of this report, FIJ found five different incidents of mass abduction on school premises across different states in northern Nigeria.
The two incidents in 2024 alone have, however, accounted for more than 80 percent of the victims of these mass abductions. Similarly, FIJ reported how about five pupils were kidnapped in a school bus in Ekiti in January.
Here is a timeline of the three other incidents and the number of students kidnapped in each:
JANUARY 2023: 6 PUPILS ABDUCTED IN NASSARAWA
In January 2023, not less than six pupils were abducted from their school premises at the Local Government Education Authority Primary School, Alwaza, in the Doma Local Government Area. FIJ found reports from community sources stating that the six pupils were kidnapped by heavily armed men around 7:00 am on January 20, 2023.
On February 3, all six kidnapped pupils were reportedly rescued through the combined efforts of the police and vigilante forces. The children were between the ages of five and seven at the time of the incident. They were reportedly rescued unhurt.
APRIL 2023: TWO STUDENTS ABDUCTED IN ZAMFARA
Two undergraduate students, identified as Zaynab and Maryam, were abducted from their hostels opposite the main campus of the Federal University, Gusau, on April 2, 2023. FIJ found media reports stating that the criminals disarmed the security personnel guarding the hostel and escaped with the two victims.
Most importantly, however, Zamfara has been a hotspot of kidnappings targeted at students and non-students alike. FIJ reported several attacks targeted at several hostels off the school premises in 2023.
SEPTEMBER 2023: 24 STUDENTS WERE KIDNAPPED IN ZAMFARA
Around 3:00 am on September 22, 2023, a group of armed men invaded three student hostels in Sabon Gida. A total of 24 students were reported to have been kidnapped in the incident.
FIJ reported a survivor’s account of this same incident, detailing how well-armed the kidnappers were and how they were rescued through a gun battle between the military and the criminals. Most poignantly, the survivor stated that the school authority and the security forces did not seem to care about the attacks.
Beyond these five incidents, there were other cases of student kidnappings in 2023 outside of the school premises. Notable among these incidents was the abduction of over 80 children in Zamfara State in April 2023; the kidnapping of eight students in Kaduna on April 8, 2023; the kidnapping of four children in Imo in May 2023; and the kidnapping of seven UNIJOS in June 2023.
The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the death of a police inspector, Jido Ahmed, attached to 61 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Kontagora, following his involvement in an alleged armed robbery.
In a statement released in Minna on Friday, the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, revealed that the late inspector and an accomplice, who is currently at large, had attacked a filling station behind the BCG Motor Park in Kontagora
The inspector died on Thursday at the police clinic in Minna from gunshot injuries sustained during a confrontation with a police patrol team from ‘A’ Division in Kontagora.
During the operation, they reportedly shot the station attendant after robbing him of an undisclosed amount of money.
“It was reported that the two suspected robbers used a motorcycle, went to the filling station, robbed an attendant, and shot the victim in the chest,” the statement read.
Consequently, Abiodun disclosed that the police patrol team from ‘A’ Division, Kontagora, immediately mobilised to the scene. They pursued the alleged robbers to the Dadin Kowa area of Kontagora, where a gun duel ensued.
“Fortunately, one of the robbers was shot in the leg, disarmed, and later identified as one Inspector Jido Ahmed attached to 61 PMF Kontagora. He was taken to General Hospital, Kontagora, for medical attention and later transferred to the Police Clinic, Minna,” Abiodun added.
The command further noted that the inspector was confirmed dead on Friday. “Further investigation into the unfortunate incident is ongoing, and effort to arrest the fleeing suspect is intensified,” the PPRO stated.
The Benue State Police Command says that two abducted passengers from a commercial bus earlier this week have managed to escape their captors, while efforts intensify to rescue the remaining passengers.
About 14 candidates travelling to Otukpo for their examination centres in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) were abducted.
According to a statement issued by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Udeme Edet, on Friday, investigations revealed that the vehicle involved was a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BGT 234 S4 belonging to Benue Links Limited.
Police also confirmed that one suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident.
However, Edet disclosed the driver reportedly violated company policy by embarking on an unauthorised late-night journey.
The driver is said to have picked up passengers randomly along the route without issuing a formal manifest, contrary to standard operating procedures.
Initial reports suggesting that all passengers were students travelling for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have also been clarified as inaccurate.
She also said security operatives have since launched a coordinated operation to locate and rescue the remaining victims.
“The Command has deployed several tactical teams, including the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, and is working with other sister agencies to track down the perpetrators and ensure the safe return of the victims,” the statement said.
Authorities have assured the public that the situation is being closely monitored and that efforts are ongoing to bring all those responsible to justice.
Driver Undergoing Interrogation
The incident took place between 7–8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, along the Benue Burnt Bricks in Otukpo, Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
Conflicting figures emerged regarding the number of victims.
While some sources gave estimates that about 17 passengers were abducted, the police confirmed 14, noting that one individual managed to escape at the time of the attack.
According to sources, the assailants waylaid the bus and robbed the occupants of their belongings before whisking them away into the bush.
An eyewitness, who spoke to journalists on the condition of anonymity, said the Benue Links bus, which was conveying about 18 passengers, ran into the kidnappers at about 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday night.
“The passengers were mainly young persons heading to Otukpo to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for Thursday.
“Two people, the driver and one passenger, managed to escape. Incidentally, the passengers were mainly young men and women who travelled to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for today (Thursday),” he said.
When contacted, the General Manager of Benue Links, Mr Alexander Fanafa, confirmed the incident, noting that the driver of the bus is presently undergoing interrogation at the police station in Otukpo for violating the company’s safety policy not to travel beyond 6:00 p.m.
He said, “As I speak with you, the driver has been arrested and is under investigation for travelling against company directive. I have warned all drivers to stop night journeys, as they would be held as first suspects if anything unfortunate happens.”
The General Manager further stated that the driver took his vehicle and loaded the passengers who were heading to Otukpo after official hours when the park manager, Mr Amedu, had closed, and ran into trouble, so he has been arrested.
The Executive Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council, Prince Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the incident, saying that it occurred between 7 and 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
Leadership Failure
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Friday, criticised the nation’s security priorities, describing the incident as a reflection of deepening insecurity and a failure of leadership.
Obi accused authorities of prioritising electoral interests over citizens’ safety.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain said the abduction of the students was both “heartbreaking” and indicative of a systemic breakdown in governance.
“The news of the abduction of innocent UTME candidates in Benue State is not just heartbreaking but a damning indictment of the failure of leadership and the collapse of security in our nation,” he said.
He further lamented the impact of insecurity on education, noting Nigeria’s already low rate of tertiary education attainment compared to peer countries.
“Young Nigerians striving for an education are being met with terror. In a country where the share of tertiary graduates is already painfully low (about 1%), which is far below peers like Indonesia (about 13%) and South Africa (around 10%). This is unacceptable. We cannot afford to lose even one more student to violence,” he said.
“Those entrusted with protecting these young students appear increasingly preoccupied with the next election, projecting strength and power to rig elections, rather than deploying that same power and agencies to secure our roads, prevent these crimes, and rescue the abducted children who should not be in the hands of criminals but in examination halls.”
The ex-presidential candidate warned that the incident reflects a broader national emergency.
“This is no longer an isolated tragedy. It is a pattern. It is a national crisis. And it demands urgent, decisive, and responsible action, not excuses, not silence, but leadership that matches the scale of the emergency this deserves. A nation that abandons its youth abandons its future. This cannot continue.”
Troops of 22 Brigade under Operation Savannah Shield have repelled suspected terrorists, arrested two suspects, and recovered motorcycles during an offensive operation in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
Security sources said the operation was conducted at about 11:09 a.m. on April 14 by troops deployed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Babanna, in collaboration with Combat Support Infantry Battalion XVI and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).
According to the sources, the troops carried out coordinated clearance operations across Dekara, Dongoru, Bakimba, Jigga, Gidan Kambarawa and Masaka villages.
During the operation, troops made contact with the terrorists along the Masaka–Dekara road, forcing them to flee and abandon their motorcycles.
The sources added that the troops subsequently encountered an ambush but successfully fought through the attack, recovering additional motorcycles.
“In total, nine motorcycles were recovered during the operation, while two suspects were apprehended,” the sources said.
They noted that two tyres of a Combat Support Vehicle (CSK APC) were damaged during the encounter.
The suspects and recovered items are currently in military custody for further investigation, while operations are ongoing to track fleeing members of the group.
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