Gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted 14 students of an Islamic school in Tungan-Bako village, Pandogari area of Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
The students were reportedly kidnapped on Saturday, October 31, while harvesting maize on a farm belonging to their Islamic teacher.
Wasiu Abiodun, spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, confirmed the incident to journalists on Monday, saying the attackers stormed the community at about 12:30pm.
According to Abiodun, preliminary information indicated that the victims were assisting their teacher, popularly known as Mallam, with harvesting maize when the gunmen struck.
He said the attackers abducted the students and fled the area.
“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,” Abiodun 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.”
The police spokesperson added that security agencies had launched a joint operation to rescue the abducted students.
He said further information would be made available as efforts to secure their release continued.
The latest incident adds to the growing number of reported abductions across parts of northern Nigeria, where armed groups have continued to target communities and travellers.
In a separate incident on Friday, suspected kidnappers abducted six people who were transporting a woman’s corpse to Okpoga, the headquarters of Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.
Meanwhile, three of six Islamic clerics abducted in Zamfara State regained their freedom on Saturday after spending six weeks in captivity.
The clerics were kidnapped on September 12 along the Dakko-Damri feeder road in Bakura Local Government Area while travelling to Talata Mafara.
Their vehicles were reportedly intercepted by armed bandits, who seized the occupants and took them into captivity.