Armed bandits in the early hours of Wednesday attacked Kiri High School in Aiyetoro Kiri, Kabba Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, but all abducted students were rescued following a swift response by local vigilantes.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the attackers stormed the community around midnight, attempting to seize students from their hostels before members of the Kiri Vigilante Group mobilised to confront them.
Residents said the vigilantes engaged the gunmen in a fierce exchange, forcing the assailants to abandon the students and flee into nearby bushes.
However, the rescue came at a heavy cost. One vigilante was reportedly killed during the operation, while locals said another resident, identified as a Hausa man, also lost his life in the crossfire.
“There is no student in captivity. The vigilantes acted immediately and prevented another mass abduction,” a community source told PLATFORM TIMES on Wednesday morning.
The incident adds to the growing wave of school attacks and mass kidnappings sweeping across Nigeria’s north-central region.
Since mid-November, at least 402 people—mostly schoolchildren—have been abducted in Niger, Kebbi, Kwara and Borno states, according to figures compiled from multiple security reports. While some victims have been freed, others remain unaccounted for.
On November 17, 24 schoolgirls were abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Kebbi State. Four days later, on November 21, gunmen invaded St.
Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri village, Niger State, whisking away over 300 pupils and staff.
The United Nations has condemned the surge in school kidnappings, urging Nigerian authorities to take “all lawful measures” to halt the attacks and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
Meanwhile, security operatives in Kogi are said to have launched a manhunt for the attackers who fled after the failed operation.
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