Overview

• Nearly 300 students, including at least 100 children under 12, were kidnapped from their school in Kuriga, Kaduna State, by gunmen.
• The abduction is part of a disturbing trend of mass kidnappings in northern Nigeria, with this being the third incident in just a week.
• Islamic extremists and armed gangs, often in conflict with local communities, are blamed for the surge in kidnappings.
• Authorities and locals are losing hope of quickly finding the abducted students, as the search in the vast forests of northwest Nigeria could take weeks.
• The Nigerian government faces increasing pressure to address the security crisis, as over 3,500 people were abducted across the country last year.