A decade on, tragedy of Nigeria’s Chibok Girls endures outside the spotlight
Chibok, Nigeria Reuters Ten years ago, Solomon Maina’s daughter, Debora, was one of 276 schoolgirls kidnapped from their dormitory in the middle of the night by Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamist militants. Global outrage was swift. A ubiquitous “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign, drawing support from the likes of Michelle Obama and Sylvester Stallone, shined a […]
Ransom demands: In crime-stricken Haiti, Catholic priests and nuns are targeted as kidnap victims
Kidnappings by criminal gangs have continued to terrorise the country’s residents, not least Catholic priests and other missionaries. In 2024 alone, at least 14 priests and religious brothers and sisters were abducted. EDUARDO CAMPOS LIMA reports in an article first published by Religion News Service…
Essay: Gangs, kidnappings, murders – why thousands of Rohingya are desperately trying to escape refugee camps by boats
In an article first published on The Conversation, RUTH WELLS and MAX WILLIAM LOOMES, of UNSW Sydney, look at why so many Rohingya are fleeing Bangladesh and what Australia, New Zealand and regional partners can do to help them…
Nigerian village celebrates the return of kidnapped students
Kuriga, Nigeria Reuters The whole village of Kuriga ran towards the convoy of buses shouting “Our children are back!” and “Alhamdulillah,” meaning “Thank you, God”, to welcome home more than 100 students and staff who were abducted this month in Nigeria’s north-west. The army announced on Sunday it had rescued 137 hostages – 76 female […]
Essay: Nigerian bandits strategically target school children for kidnappings – here’s why
OLUWOLE OJEWALE, regional coordinator for the Institute for Security Studies, explains why school children are all too often targets for kidnappers in Nigeria…
Nigeria defence chief says bad intel hinders fight on kidnappings
Lagos, Nigeria Reuters Nigeria’s Defence Chief General Chris Musa said on Monday the military was being fed bad intelligence by informants, hampering the fight against armed kidnapping gangs who continue to abduct students and residents in the north of the country. The military announced on Sunday that it had rescued 137 students abducted by gunmen […]
Nigerian army rescues abducted Kaduna students
Maiduguri, Nigeria Reuters The Nigerian army on Sunday rescued students and staff who were abducted by gunmen from a school in the country’s north earlier this month, the military said, days before the deadline for a ransom payment. A boy holds a sign to protest against, what a teacher, local councillor and parents said, the […]
Gunmen in Nigeria kidnap about 100 in weekend attacks
Kaduna, Nigeria Reuters Gunmen in Nigeria kidnapped around 100 people, including women and children, in two weekend attacks in Kaduna state, residents and police said on Monday. Kidnappings by criminal gangs demanding ransoms have become an almost daily occurrence in Nigeria, especially in the north, with authorities seemingly powerless to stop them. Kaduna police spokesperson […]
Nigeria: Kidnaps break up families, keep children out of school
GARBA MOHAMMAD, ABRAHAM ACHIRGA and GIULIA PARAVICINI, of Reuters, report…
Nigerian kidnappers demand $US620,000 for release of school hostages, local authorities say
Kaduna, Nigeria Reuters Gunmen who kidnapped 286 students and staff from a school in northern Nigeria last week have demanded a total of one billion naira ($US620,432) for their release, a spokesman for the families of the hostages and a local councillor told Reuters. The school children, some older students and members of the school […]