Gun-toting lunatics kidnap 50 children from schools as toddlers ‘used as human shields’

Babies as young as two were used as human shields in the brutal kidnapping, as helpless parents watched on

Gunmen have kidnapped more than 50 children aged between two and five years old. The armed maniacs stormed three schools in Nigeria and took the youngsters, but police were not able to shoot at them as they used the kids as human shields while fleeing on motorbikes.

The armed abduction happened in Mussa, Borno state in north-eastern Nigeria on Friday morning with most of the missing children said to be aged between two and five years old. They were taken from the town’s Government Day Secondary School, Mussa Central Primary School, and State Universal Basis Education Board (SUBEB) Primary School.

Witnesses said parents watched helplessly from a nearby hill as the gunmen fled with their children. At present, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack and government officials have yet to comment.

It has been reported locally that the attack is believed to have been carried out by Boko Haram – a group which has long been locked in a battle for control over the region with rival faction Islamic State West Africa Province.

Nigeria is facing a surge in mass kidnappings carried out by various armed groups. Residents in Borno state are among those living under the shadow of continued violence, forcing some of them to leave their homes.

Devastated families say they have no choice but to desperately wait for updates on their missing children.

One father, who asked not to be identified over fears of retaliation, told the BBC his wife had been left distraught after the gunmen abducted his six-year-old daughter.

Abdu Dunama, headmaster of Mussa Central Primary School, said he heard shots being fired before the armed men stormed the school and began rounding up children.

Mr Dunama said 34 children, mostly aged five and under, were snatched from their classrooms.

Security forces and troops are continuing efforts to track the perpetrators, he added.

Residents said some older students escaped into nearby bushes as the chaos unfolded. The gunmen had reportedly fired their weapons sporadically, forcing locals to run for cover.

The community has urgently called on the government to help bring the children home safely.