The schoolgirls were taken from their residences by gunmen who raided the Government Girls’ Secondary School in the city of Jangebe, a senior government official with knowledge of the incident told CNN.
According to the source, a police officer was killed in the attack, who did not want to be named as he did not have permission to speak on record.
“They came across about 20 motorcycles and the abducted girls marched into the forest,” the source said. “The bandits arrived at about 1:45 a.m. and operated until about 3 p.m.
“The sad thing is that there is a military checkpoint that is about four minutes from the school,” he added.
About 500 students are normally at the boarding school, of whom about 315 were taken by the armed men. Others managed to flee and return to their residences, the source said.
A state police spokesman told CNN that a detailed statement would be released as they compiled what happened. He declined to comment on the number of students abducted in the incident.
Later Friday, the force said in a statement that a “heavily armed” joint search and rescue operation had been launched.
The upset parents of some of the schoolgirls spoke to CNN on Friday, and one said her daughter was allegedly confiscated in her pajamas.
“My daughter is among those taken away because I left her things behind,” Jummai Haruna, mother of Hafsat Abubakar, told CNN.
“I believe she was only taken away with her pajamas because I found her hijab and her school uniform.”
“I miss her so much already. Nobody told me anything about the place where my daughter was. She’s always been with me. Her father died when I was still pregnant. Now I do not know what to do,” said Haruna. .
Narama Umar’s niece, Asmau Lawali (14), is also among the missing.
“The government should please help bring our daughters back. There were a lot of parents crying in school. It’s very sad, we want our daughters back,” Umar told CNN.
Another resident, Safiyanu Jangebi, told CNN he heard gunshots during the abduction and described how bystanders clashed with police at the scene.
“There are policemen all over the school, the youths are angry and are now throwing stones at the police. The governor’s wife was also here. They also threw stones at her and said: ‘Allah will punish you’ and ‘We will kill you’ do not forgive. ” Jangebi said.
Amnesty International said the incident amounted to a ‘war crime’.
The latest kidnapping comes barely two weeks after at least 42 people, including students, were abducted during a similar raid on a public school in Niger, in the Central Belt region of Nigeria. A student was killed in the attack, while 27 students, three teachers and nine family members were abducted. Where they are at present is unknown.
UNICEF on Friday expressed concern over reports of the overnight attack.
“We are angry and saddened by another brutal attack on school children in Nigeria,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria.
“This is a gross violation of children’s rights and a horrific experience for children to go through – one that could have long-term consequences for their mental health and well-being. We fully condemn the attack and call on those responsible for the girls immediately and that the government should take steps to ensure their safe release and the safety of all other school children in Nigeria. ‘
“Children need to feel safe and secure at all times – and parents do not have to worry about the safety of their children when they send them to school in the morning,” Hawkins said.
Many parents are concerned about the safety of their children in schools in northern Nigeria.
The most important of the school kidnapping cases in the country were the Chibok schoolgirls who were abducted by Boko Haram in April 2014.