Gunmen abduct 23 children from orphanage in central Nigeria

Gunmen abducted 23 children from an orphanage and school facility in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State in north-central Nigeria, authorities said.

Kogi State officials said 15 of the abducted pupils were rescued in the initial response, while eight remained missing at the time of reporting. The attack happened late on Sunday night and was confirmed on Monday by state officials and wire reports including AP.

The school was identified as Dahallukitab Group of Schools. Officials described it as operating illegally or without registration.

The incident has triggered an active rescue operation, but the authorities have not yet said who carried out the raid or whether any arrests have been made. No group has claimed responsibility.

Some Nigerian outlets reported slightly different victim counts, including claims that the proprietor's wife was also abducted or that the total number of victims was higher. The most consistently corroborated figure across AP and the Kogi State government is 23 abducted children, 15 rescued and eight still missing.

The attack adds to concerns over child safety and armed criminality in central Nigeria, where kidnappings for ransom remain a persistent threat. For now, the focus is on finding the remaining missing children and stabilizing the area.