More than 280 students from a school in Kuriga, a town in north-western Nigeria, have been kidnapped, according to officials. The abduction took place around 08:30 (07:30 GMT) while the students were gathered in the assembly ground, as described by a witness who saw dozens of gunmen riding motorcycles through the school premises.

The students, aged between eight and 15, along with a teacher, were forcibly taken away by the gunmen. This incident marks a resurgence in mass abductions of children in the region, where criminal gangs commonly known as bandits have been responsible for seizing hundreds of people in recent years, particularly in the north-west.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state, which encompasses Kuriga, confirmed the abduction, stating that 187 students from the Government Secondary School and 125 from the local primary school are missing. However, 25 students have since managed to return.

According to an eyewitness, one student was shot by the gunmen and is currently receiving medical treatment at Birnin Gwari hospital. Another account from a teacher who escaped the attack mentioned that local residents attempted to rescue the children but were repelled by the armed assailants, resulting in one casualty.

The community is deeply affected by this tragedy, with nearly every family having a child among the kidnapped victims. Security forces have launched an operation to locate and rescue the abducted students.

This kidnapping comes shortly after the killing of a school principal in the same area by bandits and the abduction of his wife earlier in January. Additionally, there have been reports of dozens of women and children feared kidnapped by Boko Haram while collecting firewood in north-eastern Nigeria, although these incidents are believed to be unrelated.

It's important to note that the criminal gangs operating in north-western Nigeria, such as Ansaru, which carried out this attack, are distinct from the militant group Boko Haram in the north-east. However, there have been instances where these groups have collaborated.

Efforts to address Nigeria's rampant kidnapping problem have been hindered by a controversial law passed in 2022, which criminalizes ransom payments with a minimum jail sentence of 15 years. However, no arrests have been made under this law. Despite law enforcement efforts, families often feel compelled to pay ransoms to secure the release of kidnapped loved ones, as seen in a recent case involving sisters abducted in Abuja.