At least six children, three teachers, and the driver of a Christian school bus were kidnapped by suspected Muslim Fulani herdsmen Monday night in Nigeria’s Ekiti State.
The bus is owned by Apostolic Nursery and Primary School, Emure-Ekiti located in the Nigerian state, according to the media outlet Vangardngr.com.
The group of 10 were returning from a trip to Eporo-Ekiti when they were abducted by the Islamic militants, the outlet reported.
Ekiti State government confirmed the incident and said rescue efforts were underway to bring the children and teachers back safely.
Gov. Biodun Oyebanji said security agencies in the state were already on the trail of the abductors. He also called for citizens to remain calm and vigilant, urging them to share any information they had with authorities.
The Ekiti and Ondo police have launched a joint search and rescue operation in the area of the kidnappings, according to Vangardnrg.com.
The kidnappers have already contacted the families of the children, demanding 30 million NGN or approximately more than $32,000 in U.S. dollars for the return of the children and the adults, a source told the outlet.
The abduction of the Christian group follows the recent murder of two Nigerian traditional
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN