Gunmen Kidnap Scores of Students in Coordinated Attacks on Three Nigerian Schools
At least 87 students, teachers and staff abducted across Borno and Oyo states as security forces launch rescue operations
ABUJA — May 18, 2026 — Gunmen have kidnapped at least 87 students, teachers and school staff in coordinated attacks on schools in northeastern and southwestern Nigeria on Friday, May 15, local authorities and international news agencies reported, in the latest mass abductions to hit Africa’s most populous nation .
The attacks occurred simultaneously in two states separated by more than 800 kilometers (500 miles)—Borno state in the northeast, where the Boko Haram insurgency has operated for over a decade, and Oyo state in the southwest, which has not previously experienced such large-scale school abductions.
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No group has yet claimed responsibility for either attack. However, the Borno kidnapping bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, the Islamist militant group that has waged a 17-year insurgency in the region.
Northeastern Attack: Toddlers Among Captives in Borno
In the deadliest incident, more than 40 students were abducted from schools in Mussa village in Borno’s Askira-Uba Local Government Area, a community located near the Sambisa Forest—a long-standing stronghold of Boko Haram fighters.
Witnesses said dozens of armed men on motorcycles stormed three schools in the town around 9:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) while classes were in session.
The targeted schools in Borno included :
- Government Day Secondary School
- Mussa Central Primary School
- State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Primary School
According to Abdu Dunama, headmaster of Mussa Central Primary School, 34 children—mostly nursery pupils aged five and under—were seized from their classrooms. A teacher at the school told Reuters that “despite some students escaping to the bushes, I can tell you many were taken away”.
Senator Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South district in the National Assembly, said on Saturday, May 16, that school authorities had informed him that 32 students were abducted from the school, while another 10 were seized from their homes near the school.
The community of Mussa lies in the same senatorial district where Boko Haram kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls from Chibok in 2014, an abduction that drew international outrage. The state had not witnessed a similar school kidnapping since that incident.
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Witnesses reported that the attackers used the children as human shields while fleeing on motorcycles, preventing security forces from opening fire. Some government officials have yet to respond publicly to the Borno attack, according to the BBC.
Southwestern Attack: Oyo Schools Targeted in Unprecedented Incident
In a separate and unusual development for the southwest, gunmen attacked three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on the same morning.
The targeted schools in Oyo included :
- Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota
- Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele
- L.A. Primary School, Esiele
During the attack, a primary school head teacher and a motorcyclist were killed, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
The Oyo State Government, in a statement released on Saturday, May 16, disclosed that security forces had successfully confined the suspected kidnappers within the National Park axis, restricting their movement and preventing possible escape into neighboring Kwara State.
The state’s Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said: “Security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Civil Defence Agro Rangers, and the Nigeria Police Force, with officers from the Monitoring Unit, were mobilized to commence rescue operations immediately after the attack”.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Police has also communicated with his counterpart in Kwara State, with both commands agreeing to strengthen surveillance and ensure any suspect attempting to cross state boundaries would be apprehended.
Combined Casualty Figures
Based on statements from officials and news agencies, the combined number of kidnapped victims from both states is at least 87, though authorities caution the figure could rise:
The total includes 42 students from Borno (32 from the school and 10 from nearby homes) and 45 students and teachers from Oyo, though independent confirmation of these figures is pending as rescue operations continue.
Government and Security Response
Security forces have launched intensive rescue operations across both states.
Oyo State Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed the immediate revitalization of the Safe School Initiative—a program designed to enhance security around educational institutions—as a precautionary measure to prevent possible spillover of school kidnapping incidents into neighboring Osun State.
“We have resolved to secure pupils in the school system in the state,” Adeleke said in a statement, adding that the special adviser on security matters has been instructed to work with service commanders and relevant agencies on implementing new security measures.
The governor further ordered immediate strengthening of intelligence gathering around schools located in border communities and remote parts of the state, while the Osun Amotekun Corps has been instructed to deepen collaboration with non-governmental peace and security organizations.
Senate Renews Push for State Police
In response to the fresh abductions, the Nigerian Senate has renewed its push for the establishment of state police forces, with Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele declaring that the incidents have further strengthened the National Assembly’s resolve to fast-track the constitutional amendment.
Bamidele described the attacks on schools as a “direct assault on Nigeria’s future,” warning that the country could no longer tolerate the growing insecurity around educational institutions.
“One of such initiatives is the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution that seeks to establish state police, which is now at an advanced stage. As soon as the National Assembly resumes plenaries on June 2, we will perfect all outstanding legislative initiatives that have been introduced to decisively address security challenges in the federation,” Bamidele said.
The constitutional amendment would require approval by at least two-thirds of state assemblies before becoming operational.
According to Bamidele, Nigeria currently has approximately 18.3 million out-of-school children, a situation he said is being aggravated by repeated attacks on schools and the abduction of students and teachers.
Background: A Continuing Crisis
Mass kidnappings have become a common tactic for armed groups in Nigeria, especially in rural areas with limited government presence. The crisis first drew global attention in 2014 when Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from a school in Chibok, Borno State.
Since then, schools across northern Nigeria have been repeatedly targeted. An analysis by Save the Children, based on media reports and data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), found at least 10 school kidnappings have taken place across Nigeria in less than two years, affecting about 670 children.
Most school kidnappings have historically taken place in the northwest of the country, where armed criminal gangs carry out abductions for ransom. However, the attack in Oyo State—in the southwest—represents a troubling expansion of the crisis into areas previously considered relatively safe.
The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has pledged immediate humanitarian intervention and long-term resettlement support for thousands of displaced residents in Monguno following renewed insecurity in parts of northern Borno.
The United States Mission in Nigeria also issued a security advisory following the attacks, urging citizens to remain vigilant and limit unnecessary movement.
SOURCES
Al Jazeera: Gunmen kidnap dozens of students in Nigeria’s Borno State
Anadolu Ajansı: Nigeria says 42 students abducted in Boko Haram attack on school in Borno
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