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Following the infamous abduction of schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State in 2014, terrorists and bandits seem to have discovered a means to hold the Nigerian government to ransom.
On the night of April 14, 2014, Boko Haram terrorists committed a heinous crime that would continue to remain a dent in Nigeria’s security architecture.
It’s been 10 years since the infamous Chibok abduction and many similar incidents have happened, indicating that the Federal Government of Nigeria learnt nothing from the Chibok episode.
Here’s the timeline of all schoolchildren abductions in Nigeria since 2014.
1. April 14, 2014 — Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok
On the night of April 14, 2014, Boko Haram terrorists invaded the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State, and kidnapped 276 girls from their dormitories.
While in transit with their abductors, 57 of the girls managed to escape and more than a dozen have also escaped in the past few years. The terrorists released 107 victims after negotiating with the government, but 91 Chibok girls are still missing after 10 years.
2. May 26, 2017 — Igbonla Model College, Lagos
Due to security lapses around Igbonla Model College, Epe in Lagos, gunmen accessed the school hostel by pulling its fence and kidnapped 10 pupils.
According to ThePunch, after profiling the parents of the abducted pupils, the gunmen released 4 of them and escaped with six.
Two months after their abduction, the victims were released after a ransom of over N100m was reportedly paid.
3. February 19, 2018 — Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi
Almost four years after the Chibok episode, Boko Haram terrorists struck again, in the same way they carried out the Chibok abduction undisturbed.
The terrorists arrived in Dapchi, a town in Yobe State, on the evening of February 19, 2018, and headed for the Government Girls Science and Technical College, where they kidnapped 112 schoolgirls and one boy.
107 of the hostages, including the boy, were later released while five of the girls died in custody. But one of them, Leah Sharibu, is still with her captors because she refused to convert to Islam.
4. December 11, 2020 — Government Science Secondary School, Kankara
On the night of December 11, 2020, a group of rifle-wielding bandits stormed the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State, kidnapping over 300 students.
About a week after their abductions, the terrorists released all the boys.
5. December 20, 2020 — Islamic School, Mahuta
Barely a week after the abduction of Kankara boys, bandits invaded an Islamic school in Mahuta, also in Katsina, the home state of the then president, Muhammadu Buhari. At least 80 boys were kidnapped.
The bandits’ audacity to strike twice within a week under the nose of the ex-military general-turned-president underscored their contemptuous views of Buhari’s presidency and the Nigerian security system.
Interestingly, the bandits released the boys after negotiations but the Federal Government denied paying a ransom.
6. February 17, 2021 — Government Science College, Kagara
No less than 27 students were kidnapped when a group of gunmen wearing military fatigues raided the Government Science College, Kagara in Niger State in February 2021.
During the abduction, the gunmen, who stormed the school premises around 2 am, killed one of the students. The victims were later released after negotiations with the government.
7. February 26, 2021 — Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe
Since the Nigerian security failed to prepare to repel terrorist and bandits attacks on schools despite the preponderance of the tragedies, non-state actors had enough time to plan another school abduction in February 2021, and this time, it was a reenactment of the 2014 Chibok incident.
At least 317 schoolgirls were kidnapped from the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara State in the early hours of February 26, 2021. One of the students died while the rest were released after negotiation.
8. March 12, 2021 — Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka
The staff and students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State had their share of the unaddressed school abductions in the North in March 2021 when armed bandits invaded the school and kidnapped 27 students.
The victims spent seven weeks in the den of their captors before they regained their freedom after negotiations.
9. April 21, 2021 — Greenfield University, Kaduna
In the early hours of April 21, 2021, bandits attacked Greenfield University, a private institution in Kaduna State. The terrorists abducted 17 students, killed five, and released the rest after holding them captive for more than a month.
The families of the victims admitted paying over ₦100 million in ransom for the release of their children.
10. May 30, 2021 — Salihu Tanko Islamic School, Niger
When armed bandits invaded Salihu Tanko Islamic School in Niger State, on a Sunday evening in May 2021, they abducted 136 pupils and their teachers.
According to ThePunch, two of the children escaped from captivity after some weeks, while four of them died.
The remaining victims regained their freedom in August after 88 days in their captors’ den.
11. June 11, 2021 — Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Kaduna
The attack on Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic in Kaduna on the night of June 11, 2021, saw the abduction of eight students and some lecturers.
At least one person was killed during the attack.
12. June 17, 2021 — Federal Government College, Birnin Kebbi
In June 2021, armed bandits on motorcycles kidnapped about 11 students from Government College (FGC), Yauri in Kebbi State.
Four of the victims were released in April 2023, while three others regained their freedom on May 7. The remaining four were released on May 25 after spending 707 days in captivity.
13. January 20, 2023 — LGEA Primary School, Nasarawa
In the early hours of January 20, 2023, gunmen stormed LGEA Primary School in Nasarawa State and kidnapped six students.
Two of the students were rescued while the remaining four regained their freedom 14 days after their abduction.
14. January 30, 2024 — Apostolic Faith School, Ekiti
The second school children abduction in the Southwest region took place in January 2024, when gunmen attacked the school bus of Apostolic Faith Secondary School, kidnapping an unknown number of pupils and their teachers.
But four days after the incident, the victims were rescued while the bus driver was found dead.
15. March 7, 2024 — Government Secondary School, Kuriga
The abduction of pupils in Ekiti was still in the news cycle when bandits invaded the Government Secondary School in Kuriga, Kaduna, and kidnapped 137 pupils including teachers.
The pupils and their teachers were released two weeks after their abduction.
16. March 9, 2024 — Tsangaya School, Sokoto
The most recent episode of school abductions in Nigeria happened on March 9, 2024, when gunmen attacked Tsangaya school in Gidan Bakuso in Gada LGA of Sokoto state, kidnapping 15 pupils.
The victims regained their freedom after 14 days in captivity.