Afaka kidnapping

On the night of 11 March 2021, at approximately 9:30 PM local time, armed gunmen attacked the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in Mando, Afaka, in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The college sits on the outskirts of Kaduna city, close to the Nigerian Defence Academy military barracks. According to reporting, the attackers, described in sources as "armed bandits," gained entry by breaching a hole in the compound's perimeter wall. Nearby residents reported hearing gunshots but initially assumed the noise originated from military training exercises at the nearby academy.

A distress call was reportedly sent from staff and students inside the campus, prompting members of the Nigerian Armed Forces' first division, based at the adjacent military academy, to engage the attackers in a firefight. By early the following morning, this response led to the rescue of 180 staff and students who had initially been taken hostage. Some students avoided capture entirely by hiding under their beds during a power blackout at the time of the attack. The students at the college were reported to be over 17 years of age and of mixed gender. Some of those rescued sustained injuries and were taken to a nearby military facility for treatment. Roughly 20 Nigerian army trucks were reported parked outside the school following the incident. In total, 39 students — 23 female and 16 male — were unaccounted for and considered abducted, with a rescue operation launched to recover them. Reports at the time suggested the captives may have been held in the nearby Rugu forest, an area spanning three Nigerian states.

The release of the abducted students occurred in stages. On 5 April 2021, the Kaduna State government announced that 5 of the 39 abducted students had been recovered and released. On 8 April 2021, a further 5 students were released, bringing the total freed to 10, with 29 still held captive. Finally, on 5 May 2021, the Kaduna State government announced that the remaining 29 students had been released by their abductors, having spent 55 days in captivity. The freed students underwent medical checks before being reunited with their families.

The Afaka kidnapping occurred just weeks after a similar mass abduction in Jangebe, Zamfara State, and was reported as the third incident of mass kidnapping from a school in northern Nigeria in 2021. The incident took place amid a broader pattern of increased attacks on schools and student abductions in Nigeria during this period, many involving shootings and ransom demands. <parameter name="timeline">[{"date": "2021-03-11", "event": "Gunmen attack the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in Afaka, Kaduna State, breaching the perimeter wall and abducting students during a nighttime raid."}, {"date": "2021-03-12", "event": "Nigerian military forces engage the attackers in a firefight and rescue 180 staff and students by early morning; 39 students remain unaccounted for."}, {"date": "2021-04-05", "event": "Kaduna State government announces 5 of the 39 abducted students have been released and recovered."}, {"date": "2021-04-08", "event": "A further 5 students are released, bringing the total freed to 10, with 29 still in captivity."}, {"date": "2021-05-05", "event": "The remaining 29 students are released after 55 days in captivity and reunited with their families following medical checkups."}]