Kogi state: At least three people, including a school vice principal and a six-year-old child, were killed when armed men attacked a secondary school in Nigeria's north-central Kogi State. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, appeared to be an attempt to carry out a mass abduction, according to the police.
According to Anadolu Agency, the attack took place at Government Secondary School in Iluke Bunu, within the Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area. Dozens of gunmen on motorcycles stormed the community and school premises around 10 am, as reported by the Kogi State Police Command. Police spokesperson Saliu Afusat stated that the attackers arrived on approximately 40 motorcycles, prompting security agencies to respond to distress calls from residents.
Afusat further explained that the combined security operatives engaged the attackers in a gunfight, forcing them to retreat into the surrounding bush. The victims were identified as Ganiyu Anifowose, the vice principal of UBE Secondary/Primary School, Iluke, 70-year-old Sunday Alhassan, and six-year-old Sunday Ayele. During the exchange of gunfire, one of the attackers was killed, and a member of the joint security team sustained injuries and is currently receiving treatment.
The police have indicated that, so far, there is no conclusive evidence of a successful mass abduction of students or other residents. However, investigations and ongoing assessments are being conducted to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
This attack has heightened concerns about assaults on schools and educational institutions across Nigeria. In April, gunmen abducted 26 people, including pupils, from Daarul Kitab Islamic School and Orphanage in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital. While security forces rescued 17 of the victims, efforts are still underway to secure the release of the remaining captives.
In May, gunmen abducted 39 students and seven teachers during coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The attackers targeted Baptist Nursery and Primary School in Yawota, Community Grammar School, and L.A. Primary School in Esin-Ele, marking one of the largest school kidnappings in the state.
Furthermore, terrorists abducted at least 42 pupils from a primary school in Mussa village in Borno State, near the Sambisa Forest, a Boko Haram insurgency stronghold. The persistence of school kidnappings in Nigeria remains a significant security challenge since the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in northeastern Borno State by Boko Haram. Armed groups have frequently targeted schools, primarily in northern and central Nigeria, often demanding ransom payments.