LAGOS, Nigeria – Armed men abducted 317 girls from a boarding school in northern Nigeria on Friday, police said, the latest in a series of mass abductions of students in the West African country.
According to a Zamfara state police spokesman, Mohammed Shehu, police and the army have begun joint operations to rescue the girls following the attack on Girls Science Secondary School in Jangebe city, which confirmed the kidnapped number.
One parent, Nasiru Abdullahi, told The Associated Press that his daughters, aged between 10 and 13, were among the missing.
“It is disappointing that, although the army has a strong presence near the school, they could not protect the girls,” he said. “At this stage we are only hoping for divine intervention.”
Resident Musa Mustapha said the gunmen also attacked a nearby military camp and checkpoint, preventing soldiers from interfering while the gunmen spent several hours at the school. It was not immediately clear if there were any victims.
Several large groups of armed men work in the state of Zamfara, which is described by the government as bandits. They are known for kidnapping money and for releasing their members from prison.
“We are angry and saddened by another brutal attack on school children in Nigeria,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF representative in the country. “It is a gross violation of children’s rights and a horrific experience for children to go through.” He asked for their immediate release.
Nigeria has seen several such attacks and kidnappings over the years, most notably the mass abduction in April 2014 by the jihadist group Boko Haram of 276 girls from Chibok High School in the state of Borno. More than a hundred of the girls are still missing.
Friday’s attack was less than two weeks after gunmen abducted 42 people, including 27 students, from Government Science College Kagara in Niger State. The students, teachers and family members are still being held.
In December, 344 students from Kankara Government Science Secondary School in Katsina State were abducted. They were eventually released.
Anietie Ewang, a researcher from Nigeria at Human Rights Watch, noted the abductions and tweeted: “Strong action is needed by the authorities to change the tide and keep schools safe.”
Amnesty International also condemned the “horrific attack” and warned in a statement that “the abducted girls are in danger of being harmed.”
Teachers were forced to flee to other countries for protection, and many children had to drop out of training amid frequent violent attacks in communities, Amnesty said.