Gunmen in southwestern Ekiti state of Nigeria seized six students and three teachers from a school during the evening hours on Monday, marking the country’s initial reported abduction involving school children this year, as stated by the state government on Tuesday.
In Nigeria, armed groups have been resorting to abducting villagers, travelers on the roads, and students, demanding ransoms amidst the pervasive insecurity prevalent in the country. The security challenges include a persistent Islamist insurgency in the northeast.
The Ekiti state government reported that the recent abduction occurred while students and teachers were returning from a local excursion on Monday night. The school bus driver was also taken captive. Security agencies in the state are actively pursuing the abductors, according to the government statement.
As of now, no group has claimed responsibility, and there have been no ransom demands.
President Bola Tinubu, who has been primarily focused on revitalizing the struggling economy, is facing heightened scrutiny due to a surge in abductions across Nigeria. This includes incidents on the outskirts of the capital, Abuja, earlier this month.
On Tuesday, the main opposition leader, Atiku Abubakar, accused Tinubu of neglecting the escalating insecurity situation, stating that he is “playing fiddle while Nigeria is drowning in the ocean of insecurity.” Abubakar’s criticism is particularly aimed at the president, who is currently on a private visit to France for a week.
