Suspected Islamist militants kidnap 42 pupils, children in Borno — Report

Suspected Islamist militants have abducted 42 pupils from a school and nearby homes in Borno State, according to a Reuters report.

The incident occurred on Friday in Askira-Uba Local Government Area in northeastern Nigeria, a region long affected by insurgency and mass abductions. Authorities are yet to confirm the attack or announce any rescue operation at the time of reporting.

The incident has renewed concerns over school safety and recurring kidnappings in northern Nigeria, especially in rural areas with weak security coverage, adding to Borno State’s long history of school-targeted attacks linked to insurgent groups.

What they are saying

Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, said school authorities informed him that 32 pupils were taken directly from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School, while 10 others were abducted from nearby homes, bringing the total to 42.

• “At least 42 Nigerian school children were missing on Saturday a day after suspected Islamist militants attacked a school in the insurgency-hit northeastern Borno state,” the report stated.
• Residents said armed men stormed the community on Friday, causing panic as students were taken from classrooms and nearby houses, with no immediate response confirmed from security agencies.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Nigeria Police Force and Nigerian Armed Forces had not issued official statements at the time of reporting.

Get up to speed

Nigeria has experienced repeated waves of mass abductions, particularly in the northern region where armed groups and insurgents frequently target schools, villages, and highways.

• One of the most widely referenced cases remains the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction in Borno State, where more than 270 schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram.
• In November 2025, armed groups carried out a large-scale kidnapping in Niger State, where over 300 students and 12 teachers were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri.
• In response to rising insecurity, President Bola Tinubu recently approved an increase in Nigeria Police Force recruitment from 30,000 to 50,000 officers to strengthen internal security capacity.

Despite these interventions, school attacks and rural abductions continue to be reported across several northern communities.

What you should know

Kidnapping has evolved into a major criminal economy in Nigeria, driven by ransom payments and expanding networks of armed groups, according to recent security analyses.

• SBM Intelligence estimated that kidnappers demanded about N48 billion between July 2024 and June 2025, but only received around N2.57 billion in ransom payments.
• The report recorded 4,722 abductions across 997 incidents within the period, with at least 762 people killed.
• The Northwest accounted for 42.6% of incidents and 62.2% of victims, making it the epicentre of Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis.
• Zamfara State recorded the highest number of victims at 1,203, with mass abductions often involving entire communities and rural settlements.

The report also noted that kidnappings are increasingly linked with broader banditry activities, including forced labour in farms and mining sites controlled by armed groups.

The incident adds to ongoing concerns about the safety of schools in northern Nigeria amid persistent insurgent and bandit activity.

Forty-two pupils missing after Nigeria school attack, lawmaker says | Reuters

Suspected Islamist militants have abducted 42 pupils from a school and nearby homes in Borno State, according to a Reuters report.

The incident occurred on Friday in Askira-Uba Local Government Area in northeastern Nigeria, a region long affected by insurgency and mass abductions. Authorities are yet to confirm the attack or announce any rescue operation at the time of reporting.

The incident has renewed concerns over school safety and recurring kidnappings in northern Nigeria, especially in rural areas with weak security coverage, adding to Borno State’s long history of school-targeted attacks linked to insurgent groups.

What they are saying

Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, said school authorities informed him that 32 pupils were taken directly from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School, while 10 others were abducted from nearby homes, bringing the total to 42.

• “At least 42 Nigerian school children were missing on Saturday a day after suspected Islamist militants attacked a school in the insurgency-hit northeastern Borno state,” the report stated.
• Residents said armed men stormed the community on Friday, causing panic as students were taken from classrooms and nearby houses, with no immediate response confirmed from security agencies.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the Nigeria Police Force and Nigerian Armed Forces had not issued official statements at the time of reporting.

Get up to speed

Nigeria has experienced repeated waves of mass abductions, particularly in the northern region where armed groups and insurgents frequently target schools, villages, and highways.

• One of the most widely referenced cases remains the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction in Borno State, where more than 270 schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram.
• In November 2025, armed groups carried out a large-scale kidnapping in Niger State, where over 300 students and 12 teachers were abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri.
• In response to rising insecurity, President Bola Tinubu recently approved an increase in Nigeria Police Force recruitment from 30,000 to 50,000 officers to strengthen internal security capacity.

Despite these interventions, school attacks and rural abductions continue to be reported across several northern communities.

What you should know

Kidnapping has evolved into a major criminal economy in Nigeria, driven by ransom payments and expanding networks of armed groups, according to recent security analyses.

• SBM Intelligence estimated that kidnappers demanded about N48 billion between July 2024 and June 2025, but only received around N2.57 billion in ransom payments.
• The report recorded 4,722 abductions across 997 incidents within the period, with at least 762 people killed.
• The Northwest accounted for 42.6% of incidents and 62.2% of victims, making it the epicentre of Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis.
• Zamfara State recorded the highest number of victims at 1,203, with mass abductions often involving entire communities and rural settlements.

The report also noted that kidnappings are increasingly linked with broader banditry activities, including forced labour in farms and mining sites controlled by armed groups.

The incident adds to ongoing concerns about the safety of schools in northern Nigeria amid persistent insurgent and bandit activity.

Forty-two pupils missing after Nigeria school attack, lawmaker says | Reuters