Gunmen seized 23 pupils and the wife of a school proprietor in a late-night raid near Lokoja, Kogi State. Security forces recovered 15 children; eight pupils and the proprietor’s wife remain missing and a manhunt is under way. Officials said the Dahallukitab Group of Schools was operating without formal registration.

Attack and immediate response

  • Date and location: late on April 26, 2026 at the Dahallukitab Group of Schools in Zariagi, an isolated, bushy area outside Lokoja along the Kabba Junction axis.
  • Victims: gunmen seized 23 pupils and the school proprietor’s wife; security operatives recovered 15 pupils; eight children and the wife remain unaccounted for.
  • Response: the Nigeria Police Force, backed by other agencies, mounted a pursuit and rescue effort. Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications Kingsley Femi Fanwo said "Intensive operations are ongoing to secure the safe return of the remaining eight victims and apprehend the perpetrators."
  • Officials noted the site's remoteness and said the facility lacked formal registration, prompting calls for greater oversight of remote schools.

How this fits into a wider pattern

Kidnappings of students have become a common tactic across Nigeria’s interior, especially in north and north-central zones. Armed groups and criminal gangs target schools to attract attention, force political responses, or extract ransom. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the Kogi raid.

Victims, ages and welfare questions

Officials have not published exact ages for the pupils taken. Local reporting notes that "pupil" in Nigeria typically refers to kindergarten and primary-school children — often up to about 12 years old — complicating immediate welfare planning for rescued pupils and those still missing.

The incident has heightened scrutiny of registration and oversight: state authorities say the Dahallukitab Group of Schools operated without registration, raising questions about vetting and community verification of remote facilities that care for children.

Security, politics and pressure on authorities

The recovery of most children illustrates both capability and limits of state forces — they secured the release of most pupils but could not prevent the initial raid. The mixed outcome is likely to increase scrutiny of Kogi State’s security posture and federal coordination on kidnapping incidents. Abductions of children typically trigger intense domestic outrage and political pressure.

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"Intensive operations are ongoing to secure the safe return of the remaining eight victims and apprehend the perpetrators," Kingsley Femi Fanwo, Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, said.

This article was created with AI assistance.