Armed men kidnapped several primary school pupils and their teachers in Nigeria, in the state of Kaduna, in the north-west of the country. Residents told the BBC that the kidnappers attacked the school in the village of Rema, Birnin-Gwari district this morning, as the children arrived in the classroom. It is unclear how many people were kidnapped and authorities say the exact number of pupils and teachers kidnapped is being ascertained.
This episode comes a few days after the kidnapping of over 200 students from a college which took place last Thursday in the state of Kaduna, with the rescue of 180 kidnapped by the army, while about 30 are still hostage.
Since last December, nearly 800 students have been kidnapped by criminal gangs across Nigeria, but this is the first time elementary school pupils have been targeted. Hostages are products released after the ransom is paid to the kidnappers. Kaduna state officials said over the weekend that they had foiled yet another raid attempt on a high school.