More than 300 young girls were kidnapped on Friday morning by gunmen who attacked a public school in Zamfara state, northwestern Nigeria.
Very early on Friday, February 26, dozens of armed men stormed the dormitories of a school for young girls in northwestern Nigeria. No less than 317 schoolgirls have disappeared. "Zamfara State Police and Army Launch Joint Operation to Rescue 317 Students Kidnapped by Armed Bandits from Jangebe Girls' Boarding Schoollocal police spokesman Mohammed Shehu said in a statement.
About 500 students normally reside in boarding schools, some young girls managed to flee, but the vast majority were kidnapped. Parents distraught at the situation said the girls were kidnapped while wearing only their pajamas. "My daughter is one of those who were kidnapped […] I think she was kidnapped when she was only wearing her nightwear because I found her hijab and her school uniform. I miss her. so much already. No one has told me about my daughter's whereabouts. She has always been with me. Her father died when I was still pregnant with her. Now I don't know what to do ", said Jummai Haruna, mother of Hafsat Abubakar to CNN. "It's very sad, we want our daughters backanother mother cried.
In a statement posted on social media on Friday, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said that the kidnapping was "inhuman and totally unacceptable". "This government will not succumb to blackmail by bandits who target innocent students with the expectation of huge ransom payments," the head of state said in a statement. “We have the ability to deploy massive force against the bandits in the villages where they operate, but our limit is the fear of heavy casualties of innocent villagers and hostages who could be used as human shields by the bandits. Our main objective is to ensure the safety and lives of hostages. ", he assured.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the attack and "Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of abducted children and their safe return to their families. It reiterates that attacks on schools and other educational institutions constitute a serious violation of children's rights and human rights. man in general ", said his spokesperson in a statement. In a tweet, António Guterres called the kidnapping "heinous violation " human rights while Amnesty International said the incident amounted to a "war crime".
More and more parents are concerned about the safety of their children in schools in northern Nigeria. Indeed, it is unfortunately common for child abductions to take place in this region where armed groups terrorize the population, steal livestock and loot villages. Last week, 42 children were abducted in Niger state, in west-central Nigeria, and have just been released. More than 300 boys were also abducted in early December in Kankara in Katsina state.