287 Children Abducted in Nigeria's Northwest School Attack

Gunmen attacked a school in Nigeria’s northwest region Thursday morning and abducted at least 287 students, the headteacher told authorities.

The incident marked the second mass abduction in the West African nation in less than a week.

Locals told The Associated Press the assailants surrounded the government-owned school in Kaduna State’s Kuriga town just as the pupils were about to start the school day.

Authorities had said earlier that more than 100 students were taken hostage in the attack.

The headteacher, however, told Kaduna Governor Uba Sani when he visited the town that the total number of those missing after a headcount was 287.

Abductions of students from schools in northern Nigeria are common and have become a source of concern since 2014 when Islamic extremists kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls in Borno state’s Chibok village.

In recent years, the abductions have been concentrated in northwestern and central regions, where dozens of armed groups often target villagers and travelers for huge ransoms.