Alarm in Nigeria: schoolchildren escape captivity after attack
Armed militants carried out a mass kidnapping of students and teachers from the St. Mary Catholic boarding school in Niger State (Nigeria).
According to preliminary data, 215 students and 12 teachers were taken hostage. The exact number of those kidnapped is still being clarified. The search operation is ongoing — tactical police units, the army, and security services are combing the surrounding forests. This is already the second major kidnapping in a week, and local authorities describe the situation as “emergency”.
According to updated information — 50 children managed to escape.
As reported by ThePublic.info citing Bloomberg, some students hid in the forest thickets, while others were helped by local farmers who sheltered them until rescuers arrived.
«We are grateful for the rescue of 50 children, but we pray for the safe return of all others,» said the school founder, Reverend Bulus Dawa Johanna.
Government reaction:
Due to the threat, the government has already closed 47 public schools, and parents are taking children even from elite educational institutions in the capital, Abuja.
Nigerian President Bola Tinuabu canceled trips and ordered security forces to intensify the search.
Analysts note that no group has claimed responsibility. It is likely that criminal gangs, which kidnap people for ransom, are behind the attack.
