Armed men kidnapped at least 30 students from a school in Nigeria’s Borno State on Friday, local residents and officials confirmed. The attack occurred at Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area around 9 a.m. as classes were in session. Witnesses reported the assailants arrived on motorcycles, forcibly taking several children before fleeing into nearby bushland.

No group has claimed responsibility for the raid, but residents and local officials suspect the involvement of Boko Haram, the Islamist militant group notorious for mass abductions. The Nigerian government has yet to comment on the incident, which follows a pattern of attacks linked to armed groups in the region.

A teacher at the school told Reuters that despite some students escaping into the bushes, many were still missing. “We heard gunshots and saw armed men on motorcycles. They took several children with them,” the teacher said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Local lawmaker Midala Usman Balami described the attack as “heartbreaking” and demanded immediate action from authorities to rescue the abducted students.

Nigeria has battled a 17-year insurgency by armed groups such as Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State’s West Africa Province. Kidnapping has become a primary tactic for these groups, often used to extort money or gain leverage. The most infamous case remains the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State, which drew global outrage and the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

Abductions have surged in recent years, with armed gangs targeting schools and villages across northern Nigeria. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, over 1,800 students have been abducted in Nigeria since 2014, many still unaccounted for. The latest attack highlights the persistent insecurity in Borno State, despite military operations aimed at curbing militant activities.

Security analysts warn that the frequency of such attacks underscores the challenges faced by Nigerian forces in protecting civilians. The government has deployed additional troops to the region, but attacks continue to occur with alarming regularity. Families of the abducted students have called for urgent intervention, with local leaders urging international support to pressure militant groups into releasing the children.

A broader investigation is expected to determine the exact number of students taken and the identities of the attackers. Meanwhile, Borno State remains under a state of emergency, with schools frequently targeted and communities living in fear of further violence.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: Al Jazeera
  • Published: May 16, 2026 at 07:58 UTC
  • Category: War
  • Topics: #conflict · #war · #aljazeera · #gunmen · #nigeria · #borno-state

Read the Full Story

This is a curated summary. For the complete article, original data, quotes and full analysis:

Read the full story on Al Jazeera →

All reporting rights belong to the respective author(s) at Al Jazeera. GlobalBR News summarizes publicly available content to help readers discover the most relevant global news.

Curated by GlobalBR News · May 16, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

Dezenas de estudantes sequestrados na agitada região nigeriana de Borno abrem feridas recentes de um conflito que já ceifou milhares de vidas. No início desta semana, homens armados invadiram uma escola na cidade de Chibok, no estado de Borno, levando dezenas de jovens estudantes — um golpe brutal que reacendeu o medo do sequestro em massa, prática recorrente do grupo jihadista Boko Haram nos últimos anos. O ataque, ainda nebuloso em seus detalhes, ocorreu em uma região já marcada pela violência extremista, onde a insurgência islâmica já deslocou milhões e transformou escolas em alvos frequentes, ceifando o futuro de uma geração inteira.

O Brasil, embora distante geograficamente, tem laços estreitos com a África Subsaariana, especialmente por meio da diáspora e de acordos de cooperação, o que torna esses conflitos de interesse estratégico para a política externa brasileira. Além disso, a onda de sequestros em massa na Nigéria expõe uma realidade que transcende fronteiras: a vulnerabilidade de crianças e jovens em zonas de guerra, um problema que ressoa em todo o continente africano e até em países sul-americanos, onde a violência armada também vitimiza civis inocentes. A ausência de reivindicação imediata não diminui a suspeita sobre grupos como o Boko Haram, cuja estratégia de terror já deixou um rastro de mais de 20 mil mortos desde 2009 e mais de 2 milhões de deslocados, segundo dados da ONU.

A comunidade internacional deve pressionar por respostas rápidas e ações concretas para garantir a segurança das vítimas e de suas famílias.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

Un nuevo ataque con secuestros masivos de estudiantes en el noreste de Nigeria reaviva los peores temores de una región asolada por el terrorismo islamista. En la madrugada, hombres armados irrumpieron en una escuela del estado de Borno, llevándose a decenas de menores en un operativo que recuerda a la sangrienta estrategia de Boko Haram.

Este tipo de ataques, que en el pasado ya costaron la vida a cientos de escolares y provocaron una crisis humanitaria en la zona, subraya la persistente amenaza del yihadismo en el Sahel africano. Para los hispanohablantes, el caso no es ajeno: miles de víctimas de secuestros en Nigeria y países vecinos son menores de edad, y la comunidad internacional ha condenado estos crímenes como violaciones flagrantes de los derechos humanos. La falta de reivindicación del último ataque deja en el aire si se trata de una facción de Boko Haram o de otro grupo insurgente, pero la impunidad y la debilidad institucional en la región siguen siendo el caldo de cultivo perfecto para la violencia.