Armed militants kidnapped multiple students from an elementary and middle school in Nigeria’s conflict-torn Borno state during Friday morning classes, according to local residents.
The attackers arrived on motorcycles around 9 a.m. local time and stormed Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area while students were in class, said Ubaidallah Hasaan, a nearby resident.
A school teacher confirmed to Reuters that the armed assailants came on motorcycles.
“Despite some students escaping to the bushes, I can tell you many were taken away,” the teacher said.
While no organization has taken credit for the kidnapping, the incident shows characteristics typical of attacks by the Islamist militia Boko Haram.
The notorious group previously captured over 270 schoolgirls in Chibok within the same state in 2014, sparking international outrage. This marks the first school abduction in Borno state since that incident.
Neither Nigeria’s police nor military forces provided immediate comment when contacted.
The village of Mussa sits close to Sambisa Forest, which has served as a longtime base for Islamist fighters who have conducted violent operations across northeastern Nigeria for over ten years.
A local lawmaker, Midala Usman Balami, described the attack as “heartbreaking” and called on government officials to respond quickly.
Despite continued military campaigns, Borno and surrounding states continue experiencing regular attacks on schools and villages, highlighting security weaknesses in remote regions.
Armed group kidnappings have emerged as a significant security threat throughout Nigeria recently, with educational institutions frequently becoming targets, though such incidents occur less often in the northeast compared to northwestern regions.
In another Friday incident, armed men kidnapped students from Baptist Nursery and Primary School in southwestern Oyo state. Local authorities have closed area schools temporarily while police search for the kidnappers.
