Suspected bandits abducted about 14 Islamic school students while they were helping their teacher harvest maize on a farm in Tungan-Bako village, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, according to a police account reported by TheCable.
The state police command’s spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, said the attack occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2026. His remarks, reported on November 2, indicated that joint security teams were working to rescue the victims.
The reported abduction took place on farmland rather than inside a school. The students had gone to assist their Mallam with the maize harvest when the attackers arrived, according to the police account.
Different accounts of the number taken
Police put the number of abducted students at approximately 14. However, LEADERSHIP quoted school owner Malam Aminu Bako as saying 15 pupils were taken.
Bako told the newspaper that he was approaching the farm when he noticed unusual movement and heard gunshots and cries. He said he instructed the motorcyclist conveying him to turn back and escaped towards a security checkpoint.
Some outlets also reported that a teacher was abducted. However, the police account they quoted did not explicitly confirm this. LEADERSHIP separately quoted Bako describing his escape near the farm. IDNN has not established whether these accounts refer to the same individual.
The final victim count and whether a teacher was among those abducted remain unresolved in the reports reviewed by IDNN.
Families await news
LEADERSHIP also quoted a parent who said his daughter was among those abducted. Speaking anonymously, he described the distress facing families who did not know the children’s whereabouts.
Bako told the newspaper that the abducted pupils were girls aged between 10 and 15. Those details were not specified in the quoted police account and have not been independently verified by IDNN.
In remarks reported on November 2, Abiodun said joint security rescue efforts were underway and further developments would be communicated. IDNN had not verified a subsequent release or rescue update at the time of this review.