More than hundreds of students have been kidnapped in Nigeria
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of school children abducted by gunmen in north-central Nigeria.
A group of unidentified gunmen attacked on May 30 the town of Tegina in Niger state, and took away at least 136 students from the Tanko Salihu Islamiyya School at the town, said Ahmed Mohammed Ketso, Deputy Governor of the State, in a press briefing on June 2.
In a statement reaching Xinhua on Tuesday, June 15, Rushnan Murtaza, the deputy country representative of UNICEF Nigeria, strongly condemned the abduction and called for the children's safe return to their families.
Murtaza said UNICEF is appalled that the students continue to be held by their abductors two weeks after they were abducted from their school.
"It is horrifying that schools and school children continue to be targets of the attack," she said. She called on the Nigerian government to take all measures to protect schools in the country so that children will not be fearful of going to school and parents will not be afraid of sending their children to school.
The state government of Niger has assured parents that plans were underway to rescue the children.
One of the most populous African countries has witnessed a series of gunmen attacks on schools and universities in recent months, leading to hundreds of students kidnapped.