Kebbi, Niger Schools’ Abductions: US to Share Intel, Demands Action
The US government has called on Nigeria to swiftly apprehend and prosecute those behind the mass abductions of students and staff in Kebbi and Niger states. Following a series of meetings between Nigerian and US security officials, both countries agreed to create a new joint counterterrorism working group, increase intelligence sharing, and expedite Nigeria’s requests for arms and defense equipment. In Kebbi, 25 girls were kidnapped and the vice-principal was killed at Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School. In Niger, 303 students and 12 teachers were seized at St. Mary’s Catholic School; 239 kidnapped victims are reportedly nursery/primary children still in the forest. Amnesty International and local organizations warn the attacks threaten educational progress, cause severe trauma, and devastate the future of northern Nigeria. Parents, labor groups, and the Catholic Diocese continue urging swift government and community action.
