Gunmen Kidnap More Than 50 Schoolchildren in Northeast Nigeria

Gunmen kidnapped more than 50 children from three schools in the town of Mussa in northeastern Nigeria, teachers and parents told the BBC.

Most of the missing children are between 2 and 5 years old.

Eyewitnesses who observed the attacks Friday morning in Mussa, Borno state, said the suspects used the children as human shields while fleeing on motorbikes, preventing security forces from opening fire.

No group claimed responsibility for the attacks. Government officials did not respond to BBC requests for comment, but a press statement issued Saturday by Sen. Ali Ndume of Borno South said at least 42 children were abducted from two schools.

The kidnappings occurred at Government Day Secondary School, Mussa Central Primary School and State Universal Basis Education Board Secondary School.

Some reports indicated the attacks bore the hallmark of Boko Haram, the Islamist group vying for control of the region against its rival faction, Islamic State West Africa Province.

Nigeria is grappling with a spate of mass abductions by a range of perpetrators.

Residents of Borno state have endured decades of insecurity. The latest attacks prompted some residents of Mussa to flee the area.

Traumatized parents told the BBC they feel they have no choice but to wait in anguish for news about their children.

One man, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, said his wife was inconsolable after their 6-year-old daughter was snatched by the gunmen.

Abdu Dunama, headmaster of Mussa Central Primary School, described hearing gunfire before armed men stormed the school and gathered children.

He said 34 children, mostly nursery pupils aged 5 and under, were seized from their classrooms.

The suspected militants arrived at the schools on motorcycles shortly after troops on patrol left the town, according to residents.

“[It was] immediately after they left, it was not up to 30 minutes after,” said Bukar Buba, whose daughter was taken.

Witnesses said the gunmen fired sporadically, forcing residents to take cover. Many parents watched helplessly from a nearby hill as their children were loaded onto motorcycles and taken away.

Some older students managed to flee into nearby bushes during the chaos, according to residents.

The largely farming community, already struggling economically, is now urgently appealing to the government to help secure the safe return of the children.

Dunama, who is in contact with security forces, said troops are on the ground and continuing efforts to track the abductors.

Additional reporting by Makuochi Okafor.

Update May 16: This article has been corrected to identify SUBEB Secondary School as involved; a previous version said it was a primary school.

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