Fifteen students rescued after raid on Nigerian orphanage school: state government says

Efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining victims, Kogi state commissioner says

Nigerian security forces rescued 15 pupils after gunmen abducted 23 children and the wife of a school proprietor during an attack late on Saturday on an unregistered orphanage and school in central Nigeria's Kogi state, the state government said.

Kogi state commissioner for information, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, confirmed that 15 pupils have been rescued and that efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining victims.

School kidnapping is thriving in most parts of Nigeria because security is weak and perpetrators demand ransom before they release their victims.

Mass kidnappings, despite repeated government pledges to prevent ⁠such incidents, continue to disrupt education, commerce, and travel, leaving frustrated residents questioning the authorities' effectiveness in addressing the threat.