In a distressing incident, armed bandits have reportedly abducted more than 100 school children from LEA Primary School in Kuriga town, Kaduna state, Nigeria. The abduction took place on Thursday morning shortly after the morning assembly, according to local officials.

Eyewitnesses revealed that the armed gunmen, who arrived on motorcycles, stormed into the school premises and seized scores of pupils before marching them into the nearby forest. Reports suggest that the headmaster of the school, along with some other staff members, are among the victims of this harrowing incident.

The Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, expressed his anguish over the incident, emphasizing the urgent need for proactive measures to safeguard schools against such acts of terrorism. He visited Kuriga and the neighboring Chikun Local Government area, calling for immediate action to bring the abducted children back safely.

Residents in the area shared their accounts with ABC News, stating that many of the students managed to escape by running out of their classrooms upon sighting the armed bandits on the school grounds. This mass abduction adds to the growing list of similar incidents in northern Nigeria, raising concerns about the safety of educational institutions in the region.

The memory of the infamous kidnapping in 2014, where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram militants in Borno State's Chibok village, is still fresh in the minds of many. The return of some of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2021 provided hope to their parents, while dozens still remain in captivity.

According to the International Centre for Counterterrorism, there has been an alarming increase in the kidnapping and forced abduction of women and children. The Nigerian government, while working with the school management, is striving to confirm the exact number of missing students.

Senator Uba Sani has pledged to retrieve all the abducted students, countering the repeated incidents of kidnappings by emphasizing the need for the establishment of state police forces. The proposed state police would consist of members from the local community who possess knowledge of the region, its people, and the prevalent issues. Sani argues that these locally based police forces would be better equipped to gather intelligence and bear arms, unlike vigilante groups who are not permitted to carry firearms.

As the search and rescue efforts intensify, the nation anxiously awaits the safe return of the kidnapped students. The incident has underscored the pressing need for enhanced measures to protect educational institutions from terrorist attacks, ensuring the safety and security of Nigeria's future generations.