1409 students abducted in Nigeria in 19 months – Report

At least 1409 students have been abducted in Nigeria in the past 19 months, According to a new report by SBM Intelligence, Nigeria’s geopolitical intelligence platform.

In the report titled, ‘School abductions in Nigeria’, the group broke down the figures of students who have been victims of these incidents since March 2020, particularly in the northern states, which have been targets of bandits and Boko Haram insurgents.

The report estimated that 1,409 students have suffered abductions since “the latest school abduction epidemic which started in March 2020,” with 16 of them killed in the process.

According to the report, Kastina is the most affected state with 440 victims, followed closely by Zamfara with 419 abductees; Niger, Kaduna, and Kebbi concluding the list.

“At least 1409 students have been kidnapped from their schools in Nigeria since the first incident in the country’s latest school abduction epidemic, which started in March 2020,” the report reads.

“In the 19 incidents up until the latest kidnap in Zamfara state, 17 teachers have also been kidnapped alongside their students, and at least ₦220 million has been paid out as ransoms. Unfortunately, 16 of the victims have died in these incidents.”