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Solved case · 2021
The short answer
On 17 February 2021, armed gunmen raided a school in Kagara, Niger State, Nigeria, killing one pupil and abducting 27 students, three staff members, and 12 of their relatives; all 42 abductees were released ten days later after negotiations with the state government.
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Suggest coverage for Kagara kidnappingThe case file
On 17 February 2021, at around 2–3 am, armed men raided the Government Science College in the Kagara district of Niger State, Nigeria. One school pupil was killed during the attack. The gunmen abducted 27 other pupils, three members of school staff, and 12 relatives of staff, bringing the total number of abductees to 42. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Following the raid, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the police and military to conduct a rescue operation. While the investigation was ongoing, an anonymous security official told Agence France-Presse that the attackers were believed to belong to a criminal gang. On 19 February 2021, the governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani-Bello, confirmed that state authorities were in the final stages of negotiations with the bandits for the release of the abductees.
On 21 February 2021, a military plane en route to Minna as part of efforts to rescue the 42 hostages crashed, killing all seven people on board. The chief of air staff ordered an immediate investigation into the cause of the crash.
By 24 February 2021, media reports indicated that the kidnappers were negotiating directly with parents of the abducted schoolboys over a ransom payment. A representative of the parents offered to pay a ransom of ₦2.7 million. The leader of the kidnapping group, identified in media reports as Dogo Gide, demanded the phone contacts of the parents so he could negotiate with each of them individually. The Niger State government maintained that it was continuing to pursue an unconditional release of the abductees through negotiation.
On 27 February 2021, the Niger State government announced that all 42 people who had been abducted from the Kagara school had been released by the bandits and received by state authorities.
This case is part of a wider pattern of mass school kidnappings for ransom in Nigeria during this period, including incidents referenced alongside it such as the Jangebe kidnapping, the Afaka kidnapping, and the Makurdi kidnapping.
5 dated entries · 2021
Armed gunmen raid the Government Science College in Kagara, Niger State, killing one pupil and abducting 27 students, three staff members, and 12 relatives.
Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello confirms the state government is in final stages of negotiations with the abductors.
A military plane en route to Minna as part of the rescue effort crashes, killing all seven people on board.
Media report kidnappers negotiating ransom with parents; a leader identified as Dogo Gide demands parents' phone contacts.
Niger State government announces all 42 abductees have been released by the bandits.
1 named in this file
Victims first. Every legal label is set from public records and court outcomes, not from the prose.
Officially named a person of interest by Nigerian authorities as the leader of the group behind the Kagara kidnapping; not charged. His current status is disputed, with some 2025 reports describing him as still active and expanding his territory, and other reports claiming he was killed by his own men, unconfirmed with no body recovered.[3]
3 cited
Coverage is not a source: every fact in this file rests on the records below.
PressBBC NewsAccessed Jul 7, 2026
PressCBS NewsAccessed Jul 7, 2026
EncyclopedicWikipediaAccessed Jul 7, 2026
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