Militant School Raids Leave 80 Children Missing in Nigeria, Including 42 Taken Near Sambisa Forest
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 17
Militant School Raids Leave 80 Children Missing in Nigeria, Including 42 Taken Near Sambisa Forest
3 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 17
Summary
More than 80 children were reported missing after militants attacked schools in Borno and Oyo states over the past week, marking the latest wave of school abductions in Nigeria.
At least 42 children were taken from a primary school in Mussa near Sambisa Forest in Borno, where Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province fighters operate; officials said 48 were abducted in two Oyo school attacks hours apart on Friday.
Three gunmen were detained over the Oyo kidnappings after community members identified them, but police did not say whether more suspects were being pursued and families were still awaiting rescues.
Amnesty International said repeated school raids are pushing children out of classrooms, with some families pulling girls from school and forcing them into marriage for protection.
School kidnappings have become a defining feature of Nigeria's insecurity, especially in the north, where armed groups use attacks on schools to gain attention; more than 300 children were abducted in two mass school seizures last year.
Despite a US-led strike killing a top leader, why do Nigerian schools remain dangerously vulnerable to attack?
With billions in ransoms funding terror, can new US military aid dismantle Nigeria's kidnap-for-profit industry?
Over 400 Schoolchildren Kidnapped in Northern Nigeria: The Mussa School Attack and the Escalating Crisis of Mass Abductions (2025–2026)
Overview
On May 15, 2026, suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists invaded Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School, immediately raising grave concerns for the safety of students and staff. The lack of official information and the inability of police to comment highlighted the unfolding crisis and deepened community fear. With no immediate details on casualties or abductions, the attack reflected the severe threat posed by groups known for targeting schools. Efforts were underway to determine the full impact and confirm if anyone was missing, leaving the Mussa community in a state of uncertainty and anxiety.