Gunmen kidnap ova 50 children for Borno schools, most na nursery school children – Parents tok

Na more dan 50 children gunmen kidnap from Mussa Central Primary Schools for Askira-Uba Local Govment Area, southern Borno, northern Nigeria on Friday morning.

Parents of di schoolchildren wey give update on di attack on Saturday, 16 May, tok say most of di victims na children from di nursery section of di Schools wey dem believe say dey between two and five years old.

One of di parents wey follow BBC tok, say di jaguda pipo kidnap im six year old daughter, and say im wife dey heartbroken and just dey cry since tori of di incident break.

E add say di kidnappers neva make any contact and dem no get any idea which group dey responsible for di abduction.

One of di schoolteachers also tell BBC say di small children bin don already siddon for dia classrooms wen di attack start.

E say im bin hear gunfire bifor armed men storm di school and begin dey round up children.

"Afta a head count, dem kidnap 34 children - mostly nursery pupils from my school," e tok! E say dos wey dem take dey very young, children wey no go fit escape.

Police for Borno State wey confam di incident say armed men attack one primary school and one secondary school for Mussa village for morning.

Police tok-tok pesin Nahum Daso tell di BBC say di attackers arrive at about 09:00 local time. Authorities suspect di gunmen na fighters from either Boko Haram or dia rival faction, di Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap) - both of dem dey active for di region.

Residents tok say di suspected militants bin land di schools on motorcycles shortly afta troops wey dey on patrol comot di town.

Witnesses say di gunmen bin dey fire gunshots anyhow, wey forece residents to run for cover.

Many parents watch helplessly from one nearby hill as dem load dia children on top motorcycles and carry dem away.

Some older students manage to run enta nearby bushes during di kasala.

One resident, Bukar Buba, tell di BBC say di attackers storm Central Primary School, Mussa and Government Secondary School, Mussa, for Askira-Uba Local Govment Area.

Buba say im daughter bin dey among dose wey dem take.

Police say many children remain unaccounted for, but authorities believe some fit don run into nearby bushes during di attack.

"We no get confirmation say di students bin dey abducted but confirmation wey we get be say many of di students run inside di bush during di time of di invasion," police tok-tok pesin Nahum Daso tell di BBC.

But Buba dispute dat account, and say gunmen on motorcycles bin take dozens of children away shortly afta one police patrol leave di area.

"Immediately afta dem leave, e no dey up to thirty minutes afta - dose attackers come to our community.

"Dem take almost 43 pupils, most of dem dey between di ages of three and six."

E say some older students, believed to be around 15 years old, bin dey abducted.

Buba say residents watch from one nearby mountain as di attackers take di pupils on motorcycles.

"We no fit count di number of motorcycles but dem come wit many motorcycles."

E add say security forces don increase dia presence for di area and bin dey carry out search operations.

Security forces wey dey respond to distress calls bin pursue di attackers but dem no fit open fire becos dem dey use di children as human shields.

Di largely farming community - wey already dey struggle economically - now dey beg govment to urgently shelp secure di safe return of di children.

Reports say sojas currently dey on ground and dem dey continue dia efforts to track di abductors.

Oyo state school attack

For dat same Friday, gunmen also attack LA School and Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele, for Ogbomoso, Oyo State, southwest Nigeria.

Di attacks happun on Friday, 15 May, di gunmen kpai one teacher, kidnap di principal, and abduct unspecified number of students for di attack.

Di Oyo State Police Command tok-tok pesin, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, confam di incident.

DSP Ayanlade for one statement say di kidnappers storm di school between 8am and 9am.

"Gunmen enta Ahoro-Esinele area, Oriire Local Govment Area, Oyo State. Dem abduct one school principal and unknown number of students, e tok.

Oyo State close all primary schools for neighbouring communities

Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (Oyosubeb) confam di incidents for one statement wey dem release on Friday.

Di Board don direct all primary schools for neighbouring communities, including Surulere, Oyo East, Oriire, and Olorunsogo, to immediately vacate dia schools until further notice.

According to Oyosubeb, dis na temporary measure to prevent any secondary incidents and to allow security agencies to thoroughly stabilise di area.

"Di Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Oyosubeb, express profound sorrow and deep concern ova di unfortunate attack on LA School, Ahoro-Esinele, and Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele, Oriire LGUBEA, wey bin result in di killing of one teacher and di kidnapping of some pupils.

"Dis na dark and painful moment for our education family for Oyo State, and our hearts dey wit di affected parents, teachers, and di entire community," di statement tok.

Dem say di accurate number of pupils wey di gunmen kidnap neva clear as security agencies continue to "comb di affected areas and establish full details of di incident".

"A tactical response team don dey deployed, and all necessary intelligence and operational measures dey go on to ensure di safe rescue of di pupils and to restore peace to di community."

Di Board assure parents say dia children no go dey abandoned, as dem add say di govment no go rest until evri pikin dey safely returned.

According to di Board, dem dey in constant communication wit security agencies, and updates go come out as new information emerge.

"At dis trying time, make we stand togeda as one united community. We mourn wit di families of di teacher wey im life dey tragically cut short.

"Im service, dedication, and sacrifice no go dey forgotten," di statement add.