"Rising Threat: Kidnappings of Nigerian School Children"

Gunmen abducted 15 children from a boarding school in northwestern Nigeria, adding to a series of recent school kidnappings in the country's conflict-hit regions. This incident follows the abduction of nearly 300 students in Borno state and 287 students in Kaduna state. School abductions have become common in Nigeria's northern region, with armed gangs targeting schools for ransom, resulting in at least 1,400 abductions since 2014. The attacks underscore a security crisis in Nigeria, with kidnappings for ransom becoming lucrative across the northern region, where numerous armed gangs operate. No group has claimed responsibility for the abductions, and while Islamic extremists are suspected in some cases, locals attribute the school kidnappings to herders involved in conflicts with host communities. Nigeria's Vice President has met with authorities and parents of the abducted students, assuring them of efforts by security forces to locate and rescue the children.