On this day, eight years ago, Boko Haram insurgents invaded a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, at dead of night and abducted hundreds of teenage schoolgirls.
While a number of the girls had regained freedom, about 109 of them are still in captivity, while 16 were said to have been killed. Some of those freed returned home traumatised with children fathered by terrorists.
Since the April 14, 2014 incident, massive abductions of students have become a recurring decimal, especially in the northern part of the country.
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In a report to mark the abduction of Chibok schoolgirls, Amnesty International said between December 2020 and October last year, 1,436 schoolchildren and 17 teachers were abducted from schools in Nigeria by armed groups, ranging from Boko Haram insurgents to bandits.
“The recent upsurge has triggered prolonged school shutdowns – and in turn led to a decline in school enrolment and attendance, as well as a rise in child marriage and pregnancies of school-age girls,” the report said.
In a statement on Thursday, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed that 11,536 schools were closed in Nigeria since December 2020 due to abductions and security issues, noting that the closure has impacted the education of approximately 1.3 million children in the 2020/21 academic year.
Aside from Chibok schoolgirls abduction, below are six high profile kidnaps carried out in schools:
Dapchi schoolgirls
The abduction of Dapchi schoolgirls in February 2018 was the second female student abduction after Chibok girls. The insurgents invaded the school at dawn and abducted 107 students of Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi.
Dapchi is located in Bulabulin, Bursari Local Government area of Yobe State. The girls, except Leah Sharibu, were released a month later after payment of a ‘huge ransom’, but the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, said the girls were released “unconditionally” and “No money involved”.
The terrorists reportedly held on to Sharibu because she refused to denounce her faith.
Kankara schoolboys
On Friday, December 11 2020, an army of bandits, under the leadership of Auwal Daudawa, stormed Government Science Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina State and kidnapped about 300 schoolboys.
Residents said the gunmen invaded the school around 10:15pm and shot at one of the policemen manning the main gate.
The bandits first proceeded to the staff quarters where they abducted the wife of a staff member before storming the pupils’ hostel where they abducted several pupils.
Auwal Daudawa, who was best known for his role in the abduction of the 300 schoolboys, was later reportedly killed in a rival fight.
Tegina abduction
In May 2021, bandits attacked Tegina town in Niger State and abducted about 136 students and teachers from Salihu Tanko Islamic School in the town.
Unspecified number of other locals, including a former councilor in the area, were abducted alongside the Islamiyya schoolchildren.
The pupils were released after spending almost three months in captivity. The pupils were said to be released in Brinin Gwari, Kaduna state.
Jangabe abduction
Over 300 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, Talata-Marafa Local Government Area of Zamfara State were abducted when gunmen stormed the school in February 2021.
The attackers had raided staff quarters and hostels, where they picked their victims and took them into the forest.
The schoolgirls were taken from their hostels by the gunmen who raided the school and police officer was to have been killed in the attack. They were released some days later.
Afaka abduction
On March 11 2021, gunmen attacked Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, and abducted about 30 students. They were released after spending more than 50 days in kidnappers’ den.
Bethel Baptist kidnap
In another massive abduction, bandits invaded Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi, Kaduna State on July 5, 2021 and kidnapped over 120 students. The victims were released in batches after their families paid millions of naira in ransom, part of which was raised via donations. Till date, about four of the students had yet to regain their freedom, and had spent 284 days in kidnappers’ den.
