Armed men suspected of belonging to jihadist groups have kidnapped dozens of schoolchildren from a village in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State.
The attack took place on Friday in the Askira-Uba region, a notorious stronghold for active militant groups.
Local residents and officials reported that heavily armed gunmen stormed the Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School while classes were actively underway.
According to regional lawmaker Senator Ali Ndume, school authorities confirmed that 32 students were seized directly from the campus while an additional 10 children were taken nearby homes.
Terrified parents revealed that the attackers struck unexpectedly right after military forces left the area.
“In less than 30 minutes, the gunmen arrived and carried out the kidnapping of children from a primary school and kindergarten,” said Bakr Buba, a local resident whose daughter and niece were among those taken.
He added that the abducted included an infant. No group has officially claimed responsibility for the raid.
However, the mass abduction closely mirrors tactics used by Boko Haram, who famously kidnapped over 270 schoolgirls in the same senatorial district in 2014.
Security forces are currently tracking the attackers.
