Parents in Nigeria Plea for Return of 121 Students Abducted by Bandits

Parents of dozens of students abducted by armed bandits at Bethel Baptist High School in Damishi town in Kaduna State gathered on Tuesday to pray and wait for news about their children. Some parents put shoes belonging to the kids in the courtyard of the school, while a pastor led prayers. The abductions are being carried out by armed groups who want ransoms. Many schools have been forced to close as authorities are unable to adequately protect them. “Rufai do something about it, we are tired!“ one mother shouted through tears, begging for help from Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state, where the school is located. A group of gunmen stormed the school early Monday, at around 2 a.m., shooting sporadically as they kidnapped the students, according to police. The exact number of students taken by the bandits is not yet certain, the authorities said. John Hayab, whose son attends the school and who narrowly escaped the abduction, said about 180 students attend the high school. Hayab, who is th