Kidnapping: US pledges support to Nigeria as efforts to secure release of schoolchildren intensify
The United States government has expressed its support to its Nigerian counterpart in the ongoing effort to secure the release of the children kidnapped in in the northern parts of the country.
The US Mission in Nigeria in a statement on X said: “The United States strongly condemns the kidnapping of schoolchildren in Kaduna and displaced persons in Borno.
“Our hearts go out to the victims’ families. We stand with you in demanding the perpetrators face justice and the immediate, safe return of all taken.
“We support Nigeria’s efforts to secure their release.”
Nigeria’s battle with the rising spate of mass kidnappings is far from over as the nation continues to witness a sudden rise in cases of attacks on schools in recent days.
In the early hours of Saturday, gunmen launched a raid on a school in the northwestern Sokoto state, kidnapping at least 15 students.
The assailants, who entered the premises of the school located in the village of Gidan Bakuso, Sokoto, fired shots indiscriminately, creating panic among the students who fled for safety.
The incident occurred just days after another abduction incident in Kaduna State, where over 200 schoolchildren were kidnapped by a criminal gang.
Boko Haram terrorists are known for mass kidnapping in Nigeria, as they gained global attention after kidnapping 200 students from a girls’ school in Chibok, Borno State.
However, other armed gangs with no ideological affiliation have joined the Boko Haram group in deploying the same strategy to seek ransom payments to fund their criminal activities.
The Nigerian government has promised to hunt down the terrorists behind the unpatriotic acts while calling for calm.
Information and National Orientation Minister Idris, in a statement in Abuja on the abduction, said the government would “continue to work very hard to ensure that the capacity of criminals to launch these attacks is constantly and irreversibly degraded.”
The minister added: “Our children deserve to seek education in conditions devoid of harm or threat of harm, and any threat to their security is a direct attack on the future of our country.
“While extending heartfelt sympathy to the families and communities affected by this distressing event, the President has directed security agencies to swiftly ensure the safe return of all abducted persons, and the arrest of the perpetrators.
“The government will spare no effort in our pursuit of justice for the victims and in our determination to hold perpetrators of such heinous acts accountable to the full extent of the law.
“The public is urged to remain calm but vigilant, and to provide any relevant information that may assist the security agencies.
“Collective action and solidarity are essential if we are to effectively combat the menace of banditry, insurgency, and insecurity in our country.”
