Scores of kids kidnapped from Islamic seminary in Nigeria

Gunmen kidnapped scores of kids from an Islamic seminary in central Nigeria, officers mentioned, the newest in a string of such incidents plaguing the populous African nation.Some 200 youngsters had been on the faculty in Niger state on Sunday through the assault, the native authorities tweeted, including “an unconfirmed number” had been taken.The abduction got here a day after 14 college students from a college in northwestern Nigeria had been freed after 40 days in captivity.Niger state police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun mentioned the attackers arrived on motorbikes in Tegina city and began taking pictures indiscriminately, killing one resident and injuring one other, earlier than kidnapping the youngsters from the Salihu Tanko Islamic faculty.One of the varsity’s officers, who requested to not be named, mentioned the attackers initially took greater than 100 youngsters “but later sent back those they considered too small for them, those between four and 12 years old”.The state authorities, in a sequence of tweets, mentioned the attackers had launched 11 of the pupils who had been “too small and couldn’t walk” very far.In a later Twitter thread, the state added the governor Sani Bello had directed “security agencies to bring back [the] children as soon as possible”.’Bandits’Armed gangs are terrorising inhabitants in northwest and central Nigeria by looting villages, stealing cattle, and taking folks hostage.Such seizures have develop into a frequent approach for criminals to gather ransoms.Since December 2020, earlier than the assault on Sunday, 730 youngsters and college students had been kidnapped.On April 20, gunmen recognized regionally as “bandits” stormed Greenfield University in northwestern Nigeria and kidnapped round 20 college students, killing a member of the varsity’s workers within the course of.Five college students had been executed a couple of days later to power households and the federal government to pay a ransom.Fourteen had been launched on Saturday.Local press mentioned that the households had paid a ransom totalling 180 million naira ($440,000) for his or her launch.’Kidnappings should cease’Africa’s most populous nation has been stricken by kidnappings for years, with criminals largely focusing on the rich and outstanding.But extra just lately, the pool of victims has expanded with the poor now additionally taken for ransom.Earlier this month, a whole lot of protesters partially blocked a motorway into the capital Abuja after a spate of kidnappings within the space.Marching alongside the freeway, a dozen younger males chanted: “We won’t accept this, kidnapping must stop!”The felony gangs keep camps within the Rugu forest which straddles northern and central Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states.Their motives have been monetary with no ideological leanings, however there may be rising concern they’re being infiltrated by jihadists from the northeast waging a 12-year-old riot to determine an Islamic state.The kidnappings within the northwest are additionally complicating challenges dealing with Buhari’s safety forces, battling a greater than decade-long northeast Islamist insurgency.