Terrorists Abducted 14 School Pupils, Teacher In Niger State

Suspected terrorists have abducted 14 Islamic school students and their teacher after invading a farm where the pupils were harvesting maize in Tungan-Bako village, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State. According to Niger State Police Command spokesman, Wasiu Abiodun, the incident occurred at about 12:30 pm on Saturday, October 31, 2026. Abiodun said the number of students taken was 14, dismissing earlier reports that as many as 50 pupils had been kidnapped. The police spokesman explained that the victims were students of an Islamic school, commonly known as an Islamiya, who had accompanied their teacher, referred to as a Mallam, to harvest maize on his farm when the attackers struck. The teacher was also taken away during the raid. Abiodun said security agencies had launched a joint operation to locate the victims and secure their release. He assured that efforts were underway to rescue the abducted students and other victims, adding that further information would be made available as the operation progressed. The abduction has also attracted criticism from the political opposition in Niger State. Jonathan Vatsa, spokesman for the Social Democratic Party governorship candidate, condemned Governor Mohammed Bago over what he described as the state government's failure to address the worsening security situation. Vatsa accused the governor of concentrating on electioneering instead of taking sufficient steps to protect residents. He also alleged that security agencies in the state lacked operational vehicles and other essential equipment needed to confront armed attackers. He further criticised the government's response to repeated attacks, arguing that issuing statements condemning incidents and expressing condolences would not resolve the security crisis without practical measures to protect communities. The latest incident adds to security concerns in Rafi Local Government Area, where armed groups have continued to pose threats to rural communities. The rescue operation remains ongoing, while authorities are yet to announce the successful recovery of the abducted students and their teacher.