Fourteen students of an Islamic school alongside their instructor have been seized by suspected bandits in Tungan-Bako village, located within the Pandogari district of Rafi Local Government Area in Niger State. The victims were reportedly ambushed on Saturday, 31 October, while working on a farm belonging to their teacher.
The Nigeria Police Force command in the state verified the development through a public statement issued on Monday by its spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun. According to authorities, joint security personnel have been deployed to execute rescue operations aimed at securing the safe return of all captives.
What are the details of the ambush?
Preliminary investigations revealed that the pupils, known locally as students of an Islamiya institution, were assisting their instructor—traditionally referred to as a Mallam—with maize harvesting chores. Around 12:30 p.m. on the day of the attack, armed assailants raided the farmland and surrounded the victims.
Additional accounts from local sources indicate that the teacher had earlier received intelligence regarding approaching criminal elements and promptly ordered the minors to head back home. As the children journeyed back, they stopped briefly at a local borehole to clean up and drink water. It was during this brief stop that the attackers descended on them, whisking them away into the surrounding bush.
While police figures place the number of abducted pupils at 14, varying local estimates initially pointed to between 12 and 13 captives, which included a younger relative of the school's proprietor.
How does this fit into the broader security crisis in Niger State?
This recent assault highlights an escalating wave of rural insecurity and targeted abductions plaguing farming communities across Niger State. Armed gangs have increasingly targeted agricultural zones, educational institutions, and rural settlements.
Previous major incidents in the region include the mass abduction on 21 November 2025, where 230 pupils, students, and staff members were seized from St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area. Those victims were eventually freed after weeks of captivity through a coordinated intervention by security agencies. Similarly, armed groups previously targeted worshippers in multiple mosques across Dekara and raided groundnut farms in Mariga Local Government Area, leaving rural populations vulnerable to recurring attacks.