The head teacher of Madarasatul Nurul Islam, an Islamic school in Maikujeri, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, Aminu Mallam Bako, has narrated how 15 pupils were abducted by bandits while returning home from a farm.
The incident happened on Saturday after the pupils had joined their teacher to harvest maize on his farm.
Speaking about the incident, Bako said he instructed the children to return home after receiving information that armed bandits were approaching the farm.
He explained that the pupils had already travelled about two kilometres from the farm and were close to their homes when they unexpectedly encountered the gunmen, who abducted them.
The teacher said the incident had left him deeply traumatised, adding that he had been crying because the children were under his supervision when they were kidnapped.
He also disclosed that the abductors contacted the school to establish whether it was a government-owned institution offering Western education.
According to him, the gunmen claimed they had received information that the school belonged to the government. However, Bako explained that it was a community-owned Islamic school.
He said the school had not received any significant assistance from the state or local governments, apart from a sympathy visit by the council chairman and the Divisional Police Officer.
Bako appealed to the authorities to urgently secure the release of the abducted children, disclosing that the school management had suspended academic activities following the incident.
He further revealed that a friend who was accompanying the pupils was also taken by the gunmen, bringing the total number of abducted victims to 16.
Meanwhile, one of the parents, Mallam Salisu, whose 12-year-old daughter, Hajara, was among the victims, was reportedly hospitalised after suffering emotional trauma over the incident.
Another parent, Bello Bako, said the abduction had devastated families in the community, adding that parents had been struggling to cope with the situation.
He appealed to the government to intensify efforts to rescue the children and reunite them with their families.
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The Niger State Police Command said joint security operatives had been deployed to rescue the abducted victims.
The police spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed that suspected bandits invaded Tungan-Bako village in Rafi Local Government Area on October 31, 2026, and kidnapped people working on a farm.
He said preliminary investigations indicated that about 14 pupils of an Islamiyya school were among those abducted while assisting their teacher with maize harvesting.
Abiodun assured residents that security personnel were working to secure the victims’ release.
In a separate development, the police spokesperson announced that six other kidnapped victims had been rescued during a security operation around Pandogari in Rafi Local Government Area.
He explained that the victims were abducted by suspected hoodlums on October 28 while working on their farms in Mahangi village.
According to him, the victims were taken to Hanawanka Forest but were rescued unharmed during a clearance operation on October 29.
The rescued victims were subsequently taken to Kagara Divisional Police Headquarters for debriefing and medical attention before being reunited with their families.
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