More than 50 children kidnapped as gunmen storm northeastern Nigeria schools, residents say 

Suspected Islamist militants abducted more than 50 schoolchildren on Friday in northeastern Borno State, according to local teachers and residents. The coordinated morning assault targeted the Government Day Secondary School, Mussa Central Primary School, and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Primary School in the Askira-Uba Local Government Area. Abdu Dunama, the headmaster of Mussa Central Primary School, confirmed that 34 children-mostly nursery pupils aged five and under-were seized directly from his school.

The gunmen arrived on motorcycles at approximately 9:00 a.m. local time (08:00 GMT) while classes were in session. One resident, speaking anonymously, shared a "heartbreaking account" confirming that "Two of my nieces, both under the age of 10, were among the pupils taken away to an unknown destination." Eyewitnesses reported that the suspects used the young children as human shields as they fled the scene on motorbikes. Nahum Daso, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, stated that several students cannot be accounted for after the attack. Daso added that it is unclear if students were explicitly abducted and that police can currently only confirm details of many students who "fled for safety during the pandemonium."

Headmaster Dunama confirmed that military troops are actively on the ground and continuing efforts to track the abductors. Abdullahi Askira, the Deputy Speaker of the Borno State House of Assembly, confirmed that an attack occurred in the area but declined to state whether pupils were among those abducted. The Borno police spokesperson stated that the operation was carried out by militants from Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).