Third incident in last week

Islamic extremists, who have been fighting for fourteen years, are suspected of kidnapping, according to locals, herdsmen are responsible.

Kuriga: More than three hundred students have been Abducted from their School in north-western Nigeria, plagued by Islamic terrorists and armed groups. This mass abduction in Kuriga is the third in the last week. 15 children were abducted from a school in Sokoto, another North West state. Also, almost busloads of people displaced by the conflict in the northeastern state of Borno were abducted, mostly women and children.

The kidnappings are a testament to the ongoing security crisis in Africa's most populous country. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the abductions, but Islamist militants insurgents in the northeast are suspected to be carrying out the abductions in Borno. Locals have blamed herdsmen who have clashed with established communities for the abductions from the school.

In 2014, Islamic extremists hijacked school buses of schoolgirls from Cheekbok, Borno, which led to a global 'Bring back our girls' campaign on Social Media. A decade later, at least 1,400 students have been abducted under similar circumstances. Some are still held hostage, including a hundred brides from Chikbok.

Nigeria's unsecured borders facilitate the smuggling of weapons that are used in such kidnappings. Fifty percent of Nigeria's 1,500 km border is with Niger. Most of this border area is covered by savanna forests. Also, a large part of the area is deserted and governance is negligible. Hence organized gangs hide here and keep their unsuspecting prey.

The Nigerian military conducts airstrikes and special forces operations in the area as needed, as well as responding to crisis-hit areas across the country. However, it is now exhausted against fourteen years of Islamic insurgency in the northwest.

The people of Kuriga are hoping for the security of their children with the help of the army and are eagerly awaiting their return.