More than 200 children were abducted from a school in Nigeria by armed men, according to school officials. The incident occurred at the Local Government Education Authority school in Kuriga, where 227 pupils were reported missing after gunmen raided the building during morning assembly. Local vigilantes tried to defend the children but were overpowered by the attackers. It is believed that the group responsible for the attack is a local off-shoot of Boko Haram called Ansaru.
Parents and residents blamed the lack of security in Nigeria’s northern Kaduna state for the incident, as similar kidnappings have occurred in the area due to political, religious, and criminal motives. In 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, leading to the widely known #BringBackOurGirls campaign supported by then First Lady Michelle Obama. The state governor has vowed to rescue the abducted children and improve security in the region.
