LAGOS, Nigeria – Armed men kidnapped 317 girls from a boarding school in northern Nigeria on Friday, police said, the latest in a series of mass kidnappings of students in the West African country.
Police and military personnel began joint operations to rescue the girls after the attack at Girls Science High School in the city of Jangebe, according to police spokesman in Zamfara state, Mohammed Shehu, who confirmed the kidnapped number.
One of the parents, Nasiru Abdullahi, told the Associated Press that his daughters, aged 10 and 13, are among the missing.
“It is disappointing that, although the military has a strong presence near the school, they have not been able to protect the girls,” he said. “At this stage, we expect only divine intervention.”
Resident Musa Mustapha said the snipers also attacked a nearby military camp and checkpoint, preventing soldiers from interfering while the snipers spent several hours at school. It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties.
Several large groups of armed men operate in the state of Zamfara, described by the government as bandits, and are known for kidnapping for money and for the release of their members from prison.
“We are angry and saddened by yet another brutal attack on school children in Nigeria,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF representative in the country. “This is a gross violation of the rights of the child and a terrible experience for children to have.” He asked for his immediate release.
Nigeria has witnessed several attacks and kidnappings over the years, notably the mass kidnapping in April 2014 by the jihadist group Boko Haram of 276 high school girls in Chibok, in the state of Borno. Over a hundred girls are still missing.
Friday’s attack came less than two weeks after snipers kidnapped 42 people, including 27 students, from Government Science College Kagara in the state of Niger. Students, teachers and family members remain in detention.
In December, 344 students were kidnapped from the Kankara Government Secondary School of Science in the state of Katsina. They were finally released.
Anietie Ewang, a Nigeria researcher at Human Rights Watch, noted the recent kidnappings and tweeted that “Strong action by the authorities is needed to turn the tide and keep schools safe.”
Amnesty International also condemned the “terrible attack”, warning in a statement that “abducted girls are at serious risk of being injured”.
Teachers were forced to flee to other states in search of protection and many children had to drop out of school amid frequent violent attacks on communities, Amnesty said.