Armed men suspected to be bandits have reportedly kidnapped about twelve children near Maigujeri town in the Rafi area of Niger State on Saturday.
According to local sources, the victims were returning on motorbikes from a field where they had been helping their schoolteacher harvest corn when the gunmen ambushed them.
While an official security report cited 18 abducted children, local resident Mohammed Abdullahi estimated the total to be closer to 12.
The abduction marks the latest in a series of attacks by armed criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, who have expanded kidnappings, village raids, and cattle theft across Niger State in recent months.
One child shot
Sources also reported that a child suffering from gunshot wounds is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Minna, the state capital.
The abduction follows a series of mass kidnappings across the state carried out by criminal gangs, several of which have forged ties with terrorist organizations operating across central and northwestern Nigeria.
Backstory…
The latest abduction in Niger State comes amid a worrying resurgence of mass kidnappings targeting schoolchildren and rural communities across Nigeria.
The state has witnessed several major abductions in recent months, including the kidnapping of more than 250 pupils and staff members from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, in November 2025.
In August 2026, about 50 children were reportedly abducted from a farm, while another 47 farmers, many of them women, were kidnapped in September.
The trend has also spread beyond the North-Central and North-West regions. On May 15, 2026, gunmen attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, abducting 39 pupils and seven teachers.
Two teachers were subsequently reported dead, while rescue operations faced security challenges after attackers planted explosives along the route.
Read Also: Gunmen Storm Catholic School in Niger State, Abduct Students, Staff
