Nigerian gunmen have attacked a faculty within the northwest area of the district and kidnapped at the least 287 college students. It’s the second mass kidnapping within the West African nation in lower than per week.
Based on native residents, assailants surrounded a authorities faculty in Kuriga, Kaduna state on Thursday as college students had been about to start out the varsity day at round 8am.
Authorities beforehand mentioned greater than 100 college students had been taken hostage within the assault.
Nonetheless, Sani Abdullahi, the headmaster of the varsity, instructed Kaduna Governor Uba Sani when he visited the town that the entire variety of lacking individuals after the rely was 287.
“We are going to make sure that each little one comes again. We’re working with the safety companies,” the governor instructed the villagers. It isn’t clear how he intends to attain this, as earlier mass kidnappings haven’t been solved.
No group claimed accountability for Thursday's assault, though the blame fell on armed teams, largely Muslim herdsmen, who’ve been accused of finishing up violent assaults and kidnappings for ransom over the previous few a long time.
As CBN Information has reported for years, Islamic extremist teams, together with Boko Haram and the Islamic State, have been working freely in elements of Nigeria.
And teams just like the Fulani herdsmen, also called the Fulani militia, are sometimes radical Muslims who goal Christians with vicious assaults on villages throughout the West African nation.
Based on Open Doorways USA, the Hausa-Fulani Muslim pastoralists make up about 38 million individuals who converse completely different languages and are nomadic. Members of the group have various levels of dedication to Islam.
Open Doorways attributes the rise of extremist teams to the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari, which has positioned “Nigeria on the epicenter of focused violence in opposition to the church”.
Abductions of scholars from faculties in northern Nigeria are frequent and have turn out to be a rising supply of concern since 2014, when Islamic extremists kidnapped 276 schoolgirls within the village of Chibok in Borno state. Nearly 100 of those women had been by no means discovered.
Just lately, kidnappings have been concentrated within the northwest and central areas, the place dozens of armed teams usually goal villagers and vacationers for large ransoms.
Open Doorways Southern Africa calls on Christians to hope for fellow believers in Nigeria.
The numbers are unthinkable.
Pray to your Nigerian household who reside in probably the most violent place for Christians on this planet!
Behind every quantity is a mom, father, grandparent, little one, household, church, group. Please share and assist us mobilize consciousness and prayer. pic.twitter.com/GUnUJdFuHm— Open Doorways Southern Africa (@opendoorssa) March 7, 2024
“Pray to your Nigerian household residing in probably the most violent place for Christians on this planet,” they wrote on X.
The group famous that 11 Christians are killed day by day in Nigeria.
Thursday's assault got here simply days after extremists kidnapped greater than 200 individuals, largely girls and youngsters, in northeastern Nigeria.
Girls, youngsters and college students are sometimes the targets of mass kidnappings within the conflict-torn northern area, with many victims launched solely after paying large ransoms.
Observers say each assaults are a reminder of Nigeria's worsening safety disaster, which has claimed a whole lot of lives in 2023.
Bola Tinubu was elected president of Nigeria final 12 months after promising to finish violence.
However below Tinubu's administration, “up to now there was no tangible enchancment within the safety state of affairs,” mentioned Oluwole Ojewale, a West and Central Africa researcher on the Africa-focused Institute for Safety Research.
US Senators Warn: 'Christians Murdered for Their Religion'
In the meantime, three US senators despatched a letter to the US State Division on Thursday urging the company “to not stand idly by as Nigerian Christians proceed to be murdered for his or her religion”.
The US State Division eliminated Nigeria from its listing of International locations of Particular Concern (CPC) in 2021, however below the Worldwide Spiritual Freedom Act, Nigeria meets the authorized definition of “taking part in or tolerating severe violations of non secular freedom” to be designated CPC reviews, Worldwide Christian Concern (ICC).
“We stay deeply involved concerning the deteriorating state of non secular freedom in Nigeria and the continued failure of your division to reply adequately with the instruments at your disposal,” Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Mike Braun (R-IN) and Marco Rubio. (R-FL) wrote to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Senators level to a current assault that occurred final Christmas.
“From December 23 to December 25, 2023, Islamic extremists murdered at the least 140 individuals, together with girls and youngsters, leaving untold numbers injured and displaced because of this mindless violence. It was a focused assault carried out with surprising brutality,” he added. they defined.
“As you realize, violence in opposition to Christians in Nigeria is rampant. Reviews estimate that roughly 5,000 Nigerian Christians have been murdered in religiously motivated violence in every of the previous two years,” they continued. “It’s essential to not stand idly by as Nigerian Christians proceed to be murdered for his or her religion. We urge you to right away use the instruments at your disposal to redefine Nigeria as CPC.”
The ICC additionally wrote a letter to Congress in January requesting a Congressional listening to on the State Division's choice to not designate Nigeria as a CPC.
“It’s crucial that the US actively tackle these points and make sure that the ideas of non secular freedom are upheld globally,” wrote greater than 40 worldwide non secular consultants.
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