More than 50 children, mostly aged between two and five, are missing after being snatched by gunmen who stormed three schools in Nigeria, locals say
Locals say more than 50 children have been taken (file image)(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Gunmen have stormed three schools in Nigeria and kidnapped more than 50 children, teachers and local residents have said.
The armed abduction happened in Mussa, Borno state in north-eastern Nigeria on Friday morning. Witnesses said security forces were unable to open fire because the suspects used the children as human shields while fleeing on motorbikes. Most of the missing children are aged between two and five years old.
They were taken from the town’s Government Day Secondary School, Mussa Central Primary School, and State Universal Basis Education Board (SUBEB) Primary School.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack and government officials have yet to comment.
Some reports suggest the attack could have been carried out by Boko Haram – a group which has long been locked in a battle for control over the region with rival faction Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap).
Nigeria is facing a surge in mass kidnappings carried out by various armed groups. Residents in Borno state are among those living under the shadow of continued violence, forcing some of them to leave their homes.
Devastated families say they have no choice but to desperately wait for updates on their missing children.
One father, who asked not to be identified over fears of retaliation, told the BBC his wife had been left distraught after the gunmen abducted his six-year-old daughter.
Abdu Dunama, headmaster of Mussa Central Primary School, said he heard shots being fired before the armed men stormed the school and began rounding up children. Mr Dunama said 34 children, mostly aged five and under, were snatched from their classrooms.
Security forces and troops are continuing efforts to track the perpetrators, he added.
