Gunmen raid Nigerian orphanage and kidnap children

The attack saw 23 children and the facility's proprietress kidnapped by gunmen on Sunday. Kogi state kidnap: Gunmen raid Nigerian orphanage and abduct children Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Criminal gangs often abduct people for ransoms across Nigeria A man sitting on the back of a car holding a gun. All that is visible of him is his torso, lap, arms and hands Gunmen raid Nigerian orphanage and kidnap children Eight children are still missing after gunmen raided an unregistered orphanage in Nigeria's north-central Kogi State and kidnapped 23, authorities have said. Kogi's information commissioner Kingsley Fanwo said 15 children were rescued due to the "prompt and coordinated response" of security agencies. Sunday's attack also saw the owner of the facility taken, he added. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but security sources say the state has a functional Boko Haram cell, and that there have been several violent attacks in the area. Nigeria is also grappling with a kidnap crisis in many parts of the country, with criminal gangs abducting people for ransoms. The government has made paying ransoms illegal but this has not prevented the kidnappings. "The government remains fully committed to ensuring the rescue of all the victims," Fanwo said. His statement on Monday also highlighted that the orphanage was "operating illegally" in a "bushy environment" without the knowledge of relevant authorities. Fanwo urged operators of orphanages, schools, and similar institutions to always engage appropriately with the appropriate government agencies "especially in the current security climate". Mass kidnappings in schools are not uncommon in Nigeria, especially in the country's northern region which is currently plagued by insecurity. This is the first time an orphanage has been targeted. In November 2025, more than 300 students and their teachers were abducted from one Catholic Secondary School in Niger State, also in the north central region of Nigeria. more than 300 students and their teachers were abducted from one Catholic Secondary School in Niger State, also in the north central region of Nigeria. They were released in two batches with the last group regaining freedom more than one month after. The government denied reports that any ransom had been paid, or that two Boko Haram commanders had been freed as part of the deal. A policeman with his back to camera taking a photo with his phone of a sign pointing to St Mary's School in Papiri, Niger state - November 2025 Nigeria denies report it paid 'huge' ransom to free pupils in mass abduction A bandit in Zamfara state dressed in dark blue and holding a gun over his shoulder walks away from the camera in a forested area. The kidnap gangs, jihadists and separatists wreaking havoc in Nigeria Inside story of a Nigerian ransom negotiator A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Around a third of Welsh children live in poverty, the highest among the four UK nations. A park is updated with equipment to encourage imagination, physical and social play, a council says. Torridge District Council says £210,000 has been spent to refurbish four parks in its district. Authorities say the militants raided a football pitch where people had been gathering and opened fire at random. Ethnic Tuareg fighters say they are in control of Kidal following a weekend of nationwide attacks, alongside Islamist groups. The authorities are investigating but early reports suggest bad weather and poor visibility may be to blame. The dispute was initially between two families before escalating into a cycle of reprisal attacks. The UK's maritime monitor reports at least four suspected piracy incidents in the past week off the coast of Somalia.