Two persons, including a student and a watchman, were killed as armed bandits raided a school and abducted 27 schoolboys and 12 of their family members early Wednesday in Nigeria’s the North Central state of Niger.

Abubakar Sani Bello, governor of the state, told reporters that 27 students, three staff members, and 12 family members were abducted when masked shooters in military uniforms invaded Government Science College, Kagara, in the Rafi local government area of Niger state at around 2 a.m. on Wednesday.

The governor also directed the immediate closure of other schools in the area. A search operation has been launched to rescue the abductees.
The abductions take place days after bandits kidnapped 21 bus passengers along Kotongora Road in Niger state.

In 2020, bandits abducted 344 schoolboys from Government Science Secondary School Kankara in Katsina before their release a week after the incident./aa