Nigeria: armed men kidnap more than 280 students, teacher says. Mass kidnappings for ransom are a major problem and affect the entire country.
In recent years, criminal gangs have repeatedly attacked schools, mainly in rural areas of Nigeria's northwestern states. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came to power in 2023 promising to tackle insecurity, fueled by jihadist groups, bandits in the northeast and surging intercommunal violence in central states. More than 100 women have been reported missing in northeastern Nigeria after a mass kidnapping.