Story By: Hassanah Ahmed and Sandra Okoh

More than 300 schoolboys were said to have been abducted by gunmen in an all-boys secondary school in Kankara, a town in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina state, authorities said.

The kidnappings occurred hours after President Muhammadu Buhari landed in Katsina for a weeklong visit.
However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the area is far from the usual area of operation of the Boko Haram Terrorist Group.

Different numbers circulated the internet. Some said about 400 students were missing, others said over 600 were missing.

Recently, Katsina Governor Aminu Masari said ‘So far we are yet to account for 333 pupils,” after a meeting with security officials, adding that the boarding school had a total of 839 students.

The Governor said students who managed to escape the attack have been coming out of hiding. It is unclear if the students initially hid or they escaped from their attackers.

“Efforts are being made to ascertain the actual number of children that have been abducted,” he added.
Parents and relations on Sunday gathered at the school, issuing a plea to authorities to bring the missing boys to safety.

“If it’s not the government that will help us, we have no power to rescue our children,” a parent, whose son was taken, said.

Meanwhile, the hashtag #BringBackOurBoys began trending on social media in Nigeria on Sunday.
In 2014, the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls was trending on social media as well because, a group of militants attacked the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Nigeria. They broke into the school, pretending to be guards.

A 17-year-old student who was abducted but escaped explained his ordeal.
“We were being pushed and beaten, we spent the night marching, sometimes walking on thorns. Thirty minutes before dawn we were told to sleep,” he told BBC Hausa.

He said that while the group was resting, he found a tree under which he sat down.
“After we sat down, I leaned back a little. I found the side of a tree which I hid behind. I lay down and stretched out my legs.”

When the gunmen ordered the rest of the group to move on, they didn’t notice him behind the tree.
“After everyone left, I started crawling and looking round, until I entered a nearby village, and it is by the special grace of God that I was able to escape,” he said.

Reactions from Nigerians on Social Media
Tweets by Nigerians have condemned this attack:

‘668 students missing not 333. North is bleeding’

‘I can’t believe 600 students not 600 cows. This is a clear identification and warning sign that the bandits can as well takeover the state. Nigeria is officially a failed state under this APC Wallahi.’
‘Katsina schoolboys story is simply a security problem. The agencies lack everything they need to fight insecurity. Sad situation for the boys after now everything becomes political.’

‘Is General #Buhari okay? On the same day he arrived Katsina, bandits abducted an unknown number of students from GSSS Kankara. Buhari then sends a ‘high powered’ delegation led by the Defence Minister to visit Katsina, when he himself is in the state. Nonsense!’

Government Response

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Garba Shehu, released a statement titled ‘President Buhari strongly condemns bandits’ attack on Katsina school’.
The statement reads ‘President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday strongly condemned the bandits’ attack at the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State, charging the army and the police to go after the attackers to ensure that no student gets missing or harmed.

The President urged the school authorities to carry out an audit of the population of the students following shootings in and around the school that sent hundreds of them fleeing and scrambling over perimeter walls. Parents who rushed to the school and removed their children and wards were also required to notify the school and police authorities to have a full account of the school population.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly bandits’ attack on innocent children at the Science School, Kankara. Our prayers are with the families of the students, the school authorities, and the injured,” said President Buhari while pledging to continue to support the police and military struggle against terrorists and bandits.
In the latest briefing received by the President from Governor Aminu Bello Masari, with whom he has been in touch, and the Army Chief of Staff, General Tukur Buratai, the military, supported by air power has located the bandits’ enclave at Zango/Paula forest in Kankara and there have been exchange of fire in an ongoing operation. Police said so far, there has not been reported any student casualty.
The President has directed the reinforcement of security of all schools in line with the safe schools policy of the administration.

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UN Response

The United Nations Secretary-General has called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of the abducted boys.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Secretary-General António Guterres, “He reiterates that attacks on schools and other educational facilities constitute a grave violation of human rights. He urges the Nigerian authorities to bring those responsible for this act to justice,” the statement added.
He also reiterated the UN’s support to the Government and people of Nigeria in their fight against terrorism, violent extremism and organized crime.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also condemned the attack and called for the children’s release.
Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said that the violence “is a grim reminder” that abductions of children and widespread grave violations of children’s rights continue to take place in northern Nigeria.

“Children should feel safe at home, in schools and in their playgrounds at all times. We stand with the families of the missing children and the community affected by this horrifying event.”.

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