Police say about 14 Islamiyya students were abducted while harvesting maize on their teacher’s farm in Niger State, as a joint security rescue operation continues.
Suspected bandits have abducted about 14 students of an Islamiyya school in Tungan-Bako village, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, police say. Reports say the students’ teacher, known as a Mallam, was also taken.
What police say about the Niger State abduction
Niger State Police spokesperson Wasiu Abiodun said the students were harvesting maize on a farm belonging to their teacher when the gunmen attacked on Saturday, 31 October.
“On 31/10/2026 at about 12.30pm, suspected bandits invaded Tungan-Bako village via Rafi LGA and abducted some persons working on the farm,” he said.
“The report further indicated that the abducted victims were about 14 students of an Islamiya helping their Mallam to harvest maize on the farm before the incident. However, joint security rescue efforts are ongoing; further developments will be communicated.”
Abiodun confirmed the abduction on Monday. He put the number of students at about 14, dismissing earlier reports that 50 had been taken. His statement does not mention the teacher or give the students’ ages. Some reports place the village near Pandogari in Rafi.
No group has claimed the attack. The attackers have not been identified, and the whereabouts of the victims are not publicly known.
Niger State abduction: insecurity and reaction
The abduction comes amid persistent insecurity in northern Nigeria, where kidnappings continue to be reported. On Friday, suspected kidnappers reportedly abducted six people conveying a woman’s corpse to Okpoga, the headquarters of Okpokwu Local Government Area in Benue State. In Zamfara State, three of six clerics abducted on 12 September on the Dakko-Damri feeder road in Bakura Local Government Area were rescued by security agencies last week. They were travelling to Talata Mafara. The other three remain in captivity.
Niger State has seen mass abductions of Islamiyya pupils before. In May 2021, dozens of children were abducted from an Islamiyya school in Tegina.
The spokesman for the Social Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in the state, Jonathan Vatsa, criticised Governor Mohammed Bago’s handling of security. He accused the governor of prioritising electioneering over lives and property.
“The security agencies in the state lack operational vehicles and other necessary equipment to confront the situation,” he said. I found no response from the governor’s office.
