AU condemns mass abduction of schoolchildren, women in Nigeria

 

The African Union  (AU) has condemned the mass abduction of schoolchildren and women on Thursday 7 March 2024, following an armed intrusion into the village of Kuriga, in northwestern Nigeria.

In a statement, the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Moussa Mahamat Faki, has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted children and women.

According to BBC, more than 280 Nigerian school pupils have been abducted in the north-western town of Kuriga, officials say.

The pupils were in the assembly ground around 08:30 (07:30 GMT) when dozens of gunmen on motorcycles rode through the school, one witness said.

The students, between the ages of eight and 15, were taken away, along with a teacher, they added.

Kidnap gangs, known as bandits, have seized thousands of people in recent years, especially the north-west.

The AU Chairperson has affirmed that this despicable act is a further illustration of the pervading threat posed by terrorism, violent extremism and banditry to the peace and stability of the Nigerian State, the West African region and the Continent as a whole.

Those kidnapped are usually freed after a ransom is paid.

The mass abduction was confirmed by Uba Sani, the governor of Kaduna state, which includes Kuriga.

He said 187 students had gone missing from a secondary school and 125 from the local primary school but that 25 had since returned.

By

 Christine Muchira