The jihadist terrorist group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of hundreds of schoolchildren in north-western Nigeria. „Our brothers are behind the kidnapping in Katsina,“ the group leader Abubakar Shekau said in a propaganda message today.
At least 333 students are still missing after hundreds of armed men on motorcycles attacked a secondary school in Katsina state on Friday.
Hundreds of pupils fled to the surrounding forest and bush areas after the attack, while others were abducted by the attackers. The kidnapping was initially attributed to armed gangs who terrorize the population in the unstable region and whose kidnappings have become part of everyday life.
Increased security level in all schools
The kidnappings on Friday took place hundreds of kilometers from the actual operating area of Boko Haram. Usually the group moves around Lake Chad in the northeast of the country. President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack and ordered an increased level of security in all schools. Schools in the state of Katsina remained closed for the time being.
Boko Haram, led by Shekau, was also responsible for the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok in 2014, which caused outrage around the world.
