10 Students Abducted by Gunmen in Northwest Nigeria

According to Nigerian authorities, unknown gunmen have abducted about 10 students in Kaduna state, Nigeria. According to U.S. World & News Reports, students from the Government Secondary School in Kaduna state were abducted during an attack Monday, April 3. According to Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna state’s commissioner of security, it is not clear what location the students were kidnapped from.

“The exact location of the incident is yet to be ascertained but detailed reports being awaited will clarify whether the incident occurred within the school premises or elsewhere,” Aruwan said.

In the past decade, abductions of students in Nigeria by unknown gunmen has become a growing concern that has triggered protest and pushback. In the past few years in Kaduna state, there has been growing unrest among residents who have become weary of the incessant insecurity.

The never-ending cycle of insurgency and impunity across Nigeria’s most vulnerable remote villages and towns has caused many of its citizens to become skeptical of the government. According to a report from The New York Times, between July 2021 and June 2022, over 3,400 people were abducted across the country, and 564 more people were murdered in kidnapping-related violence. Authorities blame the abductions on armed groups who often target remote communities. Reports say that many gunmen are suspected to be Fulani, a predominantly Muslim group. The incessant kidnappings of students from schools has become a frequent tragedy that has garnered public uproar. The first major incident that caught the world’s attention was the 2014 abduction of over 200 girls in Chibok, Borno state. This kicked off the #BringBackOurGirls campaign that got the attention of world leaders and renowned celebrities.

Kaduna State is a Northwestern Nigerian city home to over 30 ethnic groups and has a geographical mix of Muslims and Christians. Historically, there have been tense relations between the Hausa-Fulani and communities in southern Kaduna have historically been tense, stemming predominantly from conflict over resources, including disputes over land and political power in the communities. These clashes have often had devastating consequences, including death, destruction of property and displacement.