Gunmen abducted secondary school students heading to university entrance examinations and other travellers in central Nigeria’s Benue state, the region’s governor said late on Thursday – the first reported student abduction this year.
Armed gangs and militants frequently target travellers, schoolchildren and rural communities in Nigeria. The authorities did not say who they thought was behind the latest abduction. The attack occurred along the Makurdi–Otukpo road, Governor Hyacinth Alia said, describing it as a “cowardly act.” He did not say how many people were taken but local media reported that 17 students were missing.
“The targeting of innocent citizens, particularly students on their way to sit for examinations, is unacceptable and stands against every norm of humanity and civil order,” Alia said in a statement. Security agencies had launched search-and-rescue operations, with the governor directing that “no effort be spared” to locate the victims.