The kidnapping took place in the early hours of September 22 at the Federal University of Gusau in Zamfara state, northwestern Nigeria. Reuters quoted student Hussaini Abubakar, who lives in a nearby boarding house, as saying that the gunmen arrived on motorbikes and started shooting. "They entered the girls' boarding houses of the university, broke the windows and the main door, shouting for the students to come out," Abubakar said.
Security experts inspect the school where the kidnapping occurred in 2021 in Zamfara state, Nigeria
In addition to the 24 female students, the gunmen also kidnapped a security guard and 10 construction workers who slept in a makeshift tent at the school.
Soldiers were deployed and confronted the gunmen but the kidnappers split into two teams, with one team engaging the troops and the other taking the hostages away. A school spokesman said six girls had been rescued by security forces.
Armed groups have been active in northwestern Nigeria in recent years, regularly kidnapping for ransom, looting communities and killing civilians. This is the first mass kidnapping at a school since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu took office in May. The leader has implemented some notable economic reforms but has failed to address insecurity as promised.
Criminal gangs have frequently kidnapped schoolchildren in recent years. In February 2021, a gang stormed a school in Jangebe town, also in Zamfara, and kidnapped more than 300 students. Authorities rescued the girls a few days later after paying a ransom.
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