Suspected Islamist militants abducted dozens of children from a village in northeastern Nigeria, a lawmaker and residents said on Saturday, in the latest mass kidnapping linked to the region’s long-running insurgency.
Ali Ndume, a senator representing Borno State, said local officials in Mussa village confirmed that 42 children were taken during the raid.
Residents had earlier estimated the number abducted at between 35 and 43 after gunmen stormed a school in the village on Friday morning.
A local resident, Bukar Buba, said a community meeting later concluded that as many as 48 children could have been kidnapped.“The military spent the night searching the bush, but they were unable to rescue even one child,” Buba said.
He added that his daughter and niece were among those abducted.Residents said the attackers struck shortly after troops stationed in the area had departed. No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction, but both Boko Haram and its rival, Islamic State West Africa Province, operate in the region.
Nigeria has battled a jihadist insurgency in the northeast for 17 years, with militant groups frequently targeting schools and civilians in mass abductions.
The conflict gained international attention in 2014 when hundreds of schoolgirls were kidnapped from Chibok in Borno State. The kidnapping came hours after Nigerian and U.S. forces announced they had killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as a senior Islamic State leader overseeing finances, operations and weapons manufacturing, during a joint operation in northeastern Nigeria.