Students taken from Catholic school in central Nigeria in latest abduction

Attack comes conscionable days aft equipped men stormed a secondary schoolhouse successful northwestern Nigeria, kidnapping 25 schoolgirls.

Students person been abducted from a Catholic schoolhouse successful cardinal Nigeria by equipped gangs, according to authorities, successful the 2nd specified incidental successful little than a week.

“The Niger State authorities has received with heavy sadness the disturbing quality of the kidnapping of pupils from St. Mary’s School successful Agwara section authorities area,” Abubakar Usman, the authorities authorities secretary, said successful a connection connected Friday.

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“The nonstop fig of abducted pupils is yet to beryllium confirmed arsenic information agencies proceed to measure the situation.”

Local TV presumption Arise News reported that 52 students were abducted successful the incident.

The schoolhouse kidnappings and an attack connected a religion earlier this week travel weeks aft United States President Donald Trump threatened subject enactment implicit what helium described arsenic targeted killings of Nigeria’s Christians, a communicative rejected by the Nigerian government, which says Muslims are the bulk victims of attacks by equipped groups.

Trump’s assertions echo claims that person gained traction among right-wing and Christian evangelical circles successful caller months.

Empty bunk beds are seen successful a authorities boarding schoolhouse successful Maga, Kebbi State, Nigeria, wherever 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped [Screenshot via Reuters]

Second onslaught successful days

The onslaught comes conscionable days aft equipped men stormed a secondary school successful Kebbi State successful northwestern Nigeria, abducting 25 schoolgirls aboriginal connected Monday morning. One aboriginal escaped, and 24 are inactive missing.

Niger State constabulary said their tactical units and the subject person been deployed to hunt for the pupils.

Police received a study astatine astir 2am (01:00 GMT) that “some equipped bandits invaded St. Mary’s Private [Catholic] Secondary School, and abducted a yet to beryllium ascertained fig of students from the school’s hostel”, the unit said successful a statement.

It said information agencies were “combing the forests with a presumption to rescue the abducted students”.

Nigerian information forces person been placed connected precocious alert this week arsenic the state faces an uncomfortable spotlight connected its information situation.

In a abstracted onslaught connected a religion successful occidental Nigeria connected Tuesday, equipped men killed 2 radical during a work that was recorded and broadcast online. Dozens of worshippers are believed to person been abducted.

Meanwhile, gunmen, who kidnapped 38 worshippers from a religion successful Nigeria’s Kwara State connected Tuesday, are demanding a ransom of 100 cardinal naira (roughly $69,000) per worshipper, a religion authoritative told the Reuters quality bureau connected Friday.